Petal
by worldtravellingfly
Summary: Nine years after The Final Battle, Amaryllis Potter found herself working late shifts in a private hospital in New York City, combining Muggle and magical Healing. The war never really let her go. And then suddenly her quiet, somewhat peaceful life changed as she ran into a stranger one night, after a long day at work. But not only her life changed... (Fem!Harry)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I own neither Harry Potter nor Marvel's Ironman. Anything you recognize is not mine.

* * *

**Warning:** This contains FEM!Harry. I'm sure there are also other differences to the original fandom, but remember: this is fanfiction. I made those changes because I can. (;

That said, I appreciate comments containing constructive critiscim but I will not reply to flames.

I'm sorry for neglecting 'Unleashed' (for those who are reading my Fem!Alex Rider series) but my muse left me for the moment and I had a rather rough few months. Please bear with me. As soon as I know what I want to do with 'Unleashed' I will continue it.

Love, W

* * *

**Prologue:**

* * *

Amy was finally finished with her last shift at the hospital. It was eleven thirty at night and she really wanted to sleep for a week. Especially after that debacle with a suicidal drunk who seemed to have lost his wife two weeks ago in an accident.

The young Healer sighed as she changed into her well-worn blue jeans and a ruby Weasley sweater from the previous Christmas. Not wanting to bother with her Potter hair for the ride home, she just put it up in a messy bun. Grabbing her new leather messenger bag, another Christmas present, Amy left the changing room.

On her way out, she waved to the nurse on duty.

The twenty-six-year-old made sure to be polite and considerate whenever she spoke to nurses because they tended to be good conversationalists when you needed to rant about sexist pigs or moronic pick-up-lines.

Hermione had suggested she try to combine her Healer training with Muggle medicine so Amy could work in both worlds, after the defeat of Voldemort and her overwhelming need to leave the Wizarding World.

So Amy applied for the three-year Healer program alongside Hannah Abbott who had become a good friend over that time.

Maybe she should give her a call? It always was fun to go out with the Hufflepuff.

Hermione said she was too scholarly to really lose herself to the music like Amy tended to do. Besides, her bushy-haired sister in all but blood had just given birth to a little girl called Rose which she had been named godmother of.

At the thought of the ginger-haired baby Amy smiled, losing herself easily in memories of spending time with her family. Due to her job at the Saint Cross Private Hospital in downtown Manhattan, New York City, the young witch rarely spent time with them anymore.

Amy was so lost to her thoughts that she didn't notice when a brunette guy crashed into her.

_Great_. Just what she needed.

"I'm sorry, wasn't looking where I was going," she apologized immediately, automatically.

The stranger helped her back on her feet, a charming smile on his face. "I'm sorry for not looking either."

"Thanks for helping me up. Well, have a nice night," Amy heard herself say awkwardly.

She had blushed embarrassed. Usually her Quidditch-honed instincts saved her from situations such as this.

"It was nice meeting you...?" the stranger replied easily.

"Amy."

"Do you have a last name too?"

She blushed but held her ground. Amy had no idea where that sass was coming from all of a sudden. "Yes."

The brunette's smile widened. "I'm Tony. Can I offer you a ride home?"

Oh, she was too tired for these games. Especially after working over 26 hours straight in a busy emergency room. "No, thanks. I don't want to impose. See you."

Maybe if she hadn't been so tired, Amy would have seen his smirk as a foreboding sign. Unknowingly she had issued him a challenge which he wouldn't back down from.

Tony Stark was like a dog with a bone when he had found something that interested him.

Oblivious as Amy tended to be in a social setting, she had sparked his interest by not recognizing him from the countless tabloids featuring his portrait additionally to actually saying no to his face, withstanding the trademark Stark charm.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Neither Ironman nor Harry Potter are mine. I just like to mess with them.

* * *

AN: I'm stumped by the reception the prologue garnered already. Wow! Thanks! Especially since I am from a non-English speaking country. Hope you continue enjoying the story!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

Tony had never been denied like this before. Especially not by a pretty woman his age.

_Never_.

She could have made it easier for him by telling him her last name but he loved the challenge so he wouldn't complain soon.

Well, that was _three_ months ago.

Now, in the beginning of April, not being a step closer to finding the mysterious 'Amy', the billionaire changed his mind.

She should have given him something to work with besides her first name.

There were surprisingly many black-haired (or brunette?), green-eyed women out there but none with the right name or face. Due to the darkness, Tony wasn't even certain her hair had been black or she had been that pale.

Although something made him continue looking for the stranger he had met for two minutes if that.

She had looked like she needed a few days off to sleep and maybe a relaxing bath, judging by the severe exhaustion on her face.

Nonetheless Tony had rarely seen a raw beauty like that.

What honestly had hooked him though were those glowing emerald eyes. Never before had he seen eyes as green as hers. They were fascinating him.

* * *

Rhodey and Pepper were slowly becoming worried about his latest obsession, Tony found. Both continued to drag him away from his lab, out of the newly acquired Stark Tower and into the night life, just to keep up a facade of normality.

Today was no different.

"You are going to clean up. Right now. Tonight you're attending a fundraiser gala for orphans. That's not up for discussion," Pepper interrupted during his programming session for a new face-recognition software.

Obviously his old one wasn't working as well as he had previously thought.

"Why?"

"It's positive press (for a change) and you need it. Besides there will be a lot of shareholders and possible contacts you should connect with. Smile, donate a nice check and try not to sneak away too soon," Pepper replied.

The 'or else' was implied.

Sighing, Tony took the dry-cleaned suit from her and went to his room. Well, maybe he found a suitable distraction from his shy jewel. (It had gotten so far that Tony had named her 'his jewel'. Thank God that endearment hadn't made it past his lips yet.)

* * *

After showering and changing, Happy drove the playboy billionaire to the gala. Rhodey had been invited as well, mostly to act as a buffer between Tony and other guests.

The two men arrived fashionably late (of course) and smiled in the right cameras before finding their table.

A walrus-like man with a horrible mustache already sat next to a horse-ish woman and a miniature version of himself.

A black clutch reserved a seat for someone else, indicating that,_ thank God_, they wouldn't have to endure the simpering woman or her brutish husband all night.

However, these people acted as if the clutch was poisonous, to Tony's internal amusement. Oh well. At least it wouldn't be as boring as he thought then.

When the two men had seated themselves, there were still three free places.

A melodious laughter startled Tony out of his thoughts and shook him back into reality. That's when he spotted _her_.

Mysterious Amy.

She wore a simple, understated bottle-green gown that spoke of old money. Tonight Amy had styled her hair into a curly waterfall (and wasn't he pathetic for waxing poetry on someone's hair?). If anything she was even more stunning than he remembered.

"Green Eyes!" Tony blurted out before he could stop himself.

Rhodey watched bemusedly his smooth friend being reduced to an insecure, stuttering mess. '_So this was his latest obsession?_' After seeing her for the first time, Rhodey could understand why Tony seemed so fascinated with the beauty.

_Amy_ apparently was just as startled by meeting Tony than the billionaire himself. For a moment she had a priceless 'doe in the headlights'-look on her face. Then her friend elbowed her subtly.

"I didn't think I'd see you again. Or that you'd remember me," 'Green Eyes' admitted in a slightly husky voice.

"You two know each other?" Elbows asked surprised.

"No. We literally ran into each other a few months ago," Amy explained.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you," Rhodey said, trying to ignore the reddening mustache and his paling horse.

Sheepishly, Amy shook his and Tony's hands. "It's my pleasure. This is Hermione Weasley, her husband Ron and I'm Amaryllis Potter-Black. You're sitting next to my aunt, Petunia, and uncle, Vernon Dursley. The gent between you and Petunia is Dudley, my cousin," the shy beauty introduced politely.

She too ignored her relatives.

"No wonder I couldn't find an Amy under your description," Tony grumbled under his breath before shaking hands with both Weasleys. "Tony Stark, that's my friend Rhodey. "

Hermione smiled at them. "Well then. It's nice to meet you."

The three newcomers took their seats. Much to Horse's very obvious displeasure, Ron sat next to her.

"Why were you out at midnight on a Tuesday?" Tony asked.

It seemed his usual eloquent charm had taken a vacation for the evening.

"I was on my way home from work," Amy explained.

"Oh, where are you working?" Dudley asked curiously. He seemed less inclined to follow his parents' example.

All three of the latecomers seemed surprised by his obvious interest but shrugged it off quickly.

_So there is not a lot of love lost between them?_ Tony filed it away for later.

"I work in the emergency room of the Saint Cross in Manhattan," the ravenette replied with a hidden pride in her eyes.

So she loved her job.

"What exactly are you doing for a living?" Ron Weasley asked curiously.

Hermione seemed a bit embarrassed about his question. Tony didn't mind though. The inquiry was sincere.

"Rhodey works for the military. I'm the CEO of Stark Industries."

Amy sighed. "It's a big company that produces stuff, mostly technology. Like TVs or phones," she explained patiently to Ron.

"Ah, interesting. I'm a police officer and Mia is a lawyer," the curious redhead replied.

"So how do you three know each other?" Tony asked, curious himself.

They seemed so different from each other. Nonetheless there was an unspoken bond between the three of them.

"We went to the same boarding school in Scotland," Hermione answered. "It's extremely private and somewhat medieval. You have to excuse our lack of knowledge concerning your technology."

Tony waved that off like it was nothing. He skillfully ignored the very audible, angry mutterings of the walrus. Or the tight-lipped horse next to him. Tonight he would get as much information out of Amaryllis and her friends as he was able to.

The first dish was served before anyone else could say another word. Rhodey sent him a knowing look. Tony wasn't an idiot. In fact, the exact opposite. He knew he had developed a very bad crush on Green Eyes.

"So who dragged you here?" the billionaire asked conversationally.

Ron choked on his soup as he tried to laugh while eating. Hermione helpfully clapped his back.

Amy blushed since Tony's eyes had never left her form once so far. "Hermione."

The bushy-haired woman huffed indignantly. "You can't sit at home all day and mope about that arrogant..."

A Look silenced her before she could finish that sentence.

Apparently shy, reserved Amaryllis Potter-Black posed as the leader in their group, while Hermione served as (moral) compass and Ron provided comic relief. The Dursleys (minus Dudley) looked constipated. Their son just smiled understandingly.

"You?" Green Eyes retorted without missing a beat.

Tony grinned. "My PA. Rhodey is here to make sure I 'behave'."

She grinned at that.

Success.

* * *

A band played soft music in the background, all the while some hotshot TV show host blabbered continuously about doing 'a good thing'.

"Why were you invited?" Tony asked bluntly.

Amy seemed bemused rather than insulted. "Well, I am from a rather old prestigious family back in Britain." (Here both of the elder Dursleys' faces adopted an unbecoming crimson color. Apparently they very much disagreed.)

In other words: Dr. Amaryllis Potter-Black came from old money.

Interesting. This required more research.

Ron snorted incredulously. "Mate, you're a Lady twice over and knighted by the Queen, on top of that. We've been invited because you're filthy rich and, even though you hate her, know Mrs. Van Borken personally. Plus you're a sucker for helping people."

Rhodey sucked in a breath, completely thrown by this revelation. Tony grinned. _So she possibly isn't a gold-digger?_

However, the fortune seemed to be news to her relatives who suddenly had a greedy glint in their eyes.

Hermione elbowed Ron quite hard in his side.

"Well then, milady, you just have to reserve me a dance on your card," Tony joked playfully.

Amy was clearly too nice to say no, so she inclined her head towards him. "Consider yourself warned though. I'm a terrible dancer, especially in high heels."

"Maybe you haven't met a good partner then?"

Rhodey hid a snort behind his napkin. Coincidentally his eyes met Ron's. They both barely restrained themselves from cracking up.

Tony was pulling the corniest lines in his repertoire to signal that _yes_, he was interested, but Amy seemed to be very oblivious. Either she was a very good actress or socially inept.

Which actually frustrated Tony even more than his own lack of eloquence.

"No, I'm sure it's more my inability to let myself be led around in three inch heels," Amy disagreed absentmindedly.

For a moment Tony was immensely tempted to bash his head against the table in order to relieve himself from a fraction of his frustration.

Therefore Hermione quickly changed the topic back to New York, asking for recommendations.

* * *

As soon as the dinner was finished, the first songs played and donations made, Tony asked Amy for a dance.

After that, the elder Dursleys fled, muttering very impolite things under their breath which Pepper would have literally grounded him for. Although before that, she would have washed his mouth out.

With a small helpless shrug, Amy allowed him to steer her towards the dance-floor.

The live band played a salsa.

_Of all things_, Tony groaned inwardly.

* * *

Rhodey watched bemusedly the beautiful doctor and his best friend leave for the dance-floor.

"Sometimes..." Hermione sighed with fond exasperation.

Ron pecked her cheek, calming her down.

"Amy is very talented in her field," the brunette said to him, apparently trying to salvage her friend's reputation.

"I've actually heard of her before from an acquaintance. Apparently she saved the life of his son," Rhodey explained good-naturedly. Then he added: "She's just a socially awkward genius?"

Ron sighed. "No. She just doesn't have a lot of experience."

Hermione nodded shortly. "Tell your friend if he hurts her, he's dead. And I mean that quite literally."

"Okay..." Rhodey wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

Immediately her face brightened again. "Good. If he really wants to go out with her - one night stands are not an option - he needs to go slow and make it blindingly obvious that he's interested. She will probably try to push him away in the beginning. Her last boyfriend died in a terrorist attack 9 years ago. Make sure he knows to not pester her about her past beyond what she is ready to tell him at a time. And she likes treacle tarts, lilies and roses. Just a tip."

Rhodey gaped at her for a moment. Why would she readily give him so much info? Were they that desperate for their friend to get laid?

"If you're afraid that she is a gold-digger or out for fame, I can assure you she neither wants the attention nor needs the money. Mr. Stark is a billionaire, isn't he? Well, both the Potters and Blacks were 'filthy rich' as Ron put it. I'm sure she could never spend all of her money even if she bought a Ferrari every month." And that was that.

* * *

Tony began to enjoy teaching Amy the steps of the Salsa. She was an eager student and quite talented if she forgot to be embarrassed about her mistakes.

The billionaire knew he was lost the moment he caught her wide, sparkling eyes and the stunning smile on her face after they had successfully completed a set of steps without hurting each other.

"See, you're a good dancer if taught right," Tony said, trying to keep his mind off thoughts regarding Amy.

Or his feelings.

He didn't even know the woman!

She smiled up at him, obviously enjoying herself as well. "Thank you."

"You can thank me by having a coffee with me sometime."

Amy frowned thoughtfully.

"Just coffee or tea. In a café. Please?"

Tony Stark - genius, _playboy_, billionaire, philanthropist - was reduced to _begging_.

For a _date_.

"Alright...but just for some tea."

"Great! Are you free tomorrow at lunch?"

Another frown but this one lasted only for a second. "Yes, unless something comes up. I have the morning shift..."

"Good. I'll pick you up at noon then."

She scrutinized him. "Why are you doing this?"

Tony spun her around, stalling for a moment. "I'm not so sure myself, honestly."

Accepting his reply, Amy let the matter drop.

"Is there a reason why your estranged relatives are sitting with us tonight even though you can't stand each other?" Tony asked in order to change the topic.

This time she let a dry, short laugh loose.

"Probably an attempt to make me more inclined to donate a ton of money by the organizers. Rebecca seems to think they care about me after raising me for fifteen years." She snorted, adding under her breath: "They probably kick themselves for not asking more child support for my presence in their perfect lives."

Tony was a bit surprised by the well-contained bitterness in her voice. This didn't fit in with what he had observed of her character so far.

But why was she so honest with him? Or was that just her standard behavior? Another tactic - to shock him away with blunt honesty? Tony's mind raced with the possibilities.

"Must have been a lovely childhood. A horse, walrus and a mini-walrus to grow up with," he commented lightly.

She giggled into his chest, trying to hide her amusement. "When I was ten, I used to think Dudley looked like a blonde gorilla."

"That would be an insult to gorillas everywhere."

"Yes," she agreed readily before sobering. "He's gotten better. My aunt and my mother were sisters. Petunia always was jealous of Mum because she was prettier and had a gift her sister didn't have. So she decided to hate her for it. When my parents married she didn't even show up at the wedding."

Tony listened attentively. From anyone else this would have been boring or TMI, too soon. However, he loved complicated puzzles and Amaryllis Potter-Black quickly developed into one of the most interesting puzzle he had encountered in some time.

Amy bit her bottom lip. "When they died I got placed with Petunia and Vernon 'for my own protection'," again a hint of bitterness. Suddenly her demeanor changed again, to almost chipper. "Either way, you shouldn't believe everything you'll probably read about me when you do your background check."

Tony sensed there was a long story behind this but also her reluctance to talk about it.

She was an enigma.

A fascinating, _frustrating_ enigma that resisted him even more easily than Pepper.

"I'm an orphan too. Although I was already eighteen when my parents died," Tony replied, unsure why he opened up to her like this.

She smiled sadly at him. "Sorry for your loss."

And what surprised Tony the most was that she actually genuinely _meant_ it. "Thank you. It was a long time ago."

Neither noticed that the next song had already started, absentmindedly adjusting to the slow waltz.

"What do you do when you're not working or being dragged to functions?"

Amy blushed a bit, again. "Twice a week I have a self-defense class. Plus lessons in driving my motorcycle."

Another idiosyncrasy Tony had not expected. Actually two. He had not pegged her as the type to be interested in those things. More of an indoors-artsy-woman. Usually he was a good judge of character but every other piece of information she gave him contradicted the Amy he had pictured in his mind.

It was spurning on his curiosity - and frustration.

Now he didn't just want to get her undressed, but figure her out as well.

"You're owning a bike and learn to beat people up properly?" the billionaire rephrased bluntly, showing his incredulity.

Hence, Amy's blush deepened with her embarrassment.

Tony began to seriously like how her pale cheeks gained that little bit of color. It became her; enhancing those incredible eyes. Absentmindedly he thought of more ways to get her to blush.

"Well, I seem to get in trouble a lot and I've inherited the bike from my godfather. He loved it and called it 'his baby'. It's a beautiful vintage machine and I feel guilty for every day it gathers dust in the garage," the Brit admitted slightly sheepish.

So he hadn't been completely off. She didn't go out of her way to rebel against the stiff, boring old aristocracy customs.

"It just so happens that I love anything that drives fast," Tony smiled charmingly.

Watching the child-like wonder in her eyes was softening something inside of him. How could someone so used to working with injured people be so innocent?

She gave him her first genuine mischievous grin then. "Me too. It drives Hermione nuts!"

They resumed the rest of the time to talk quietly about the speed of several different cars, roller-coasters and various other dangerous contraptions they'd been in before.

* * *

After several dances, the two made their way back to their table. A few people stopped them, wondering who she was, why Tony cared enough to dance with her for an hour and how they met. Some dismissed her immediately in favor of trying to talk business. Tony always kept those talks short and to the point.

A blonde dressed in a blinding shade of yellow hugged Amy out of nowhere.

"Luna! What are you doing in New York?" the obviously surprised doctor asked.

Something in her demeanor changed again. Just minutely, but Tony noticed since he watched her every move all night.

The blonde smiled dreamily at her. "Daddy wanted someone to report about the growing population of Fernwicks. Neville and I used the chance to take a bit of a holiday. We ran into Charles so Rebecca forced us to attend today."

"Luna, this is our table neighbor or something, Tony Stark. Tony, a good friend of mine, Luna Longbottom."

"You have nice ears," the blonde informed him in a serious tone. "But you are suffering from a wrackspurt infestation. And you're obviously surrounded by nasty Nargles."

Tony wasn't sure what he should reply to that so he went with the flow. "Thank you. You wear a nice shade of yellow."

Luna smiled at him with her trademark far away look. "Stay away from hot places. They're never good for your health."

Suddenly a brunette man appeared next to the strange blonde.

"Oh, there you are!" the brunette breathed, obviously relieved to have found her.

"Nice to see you too, Nev," Amy grinned. She received a brotherly hug and proceeded to introduce the two men.

* * *

Before they left, Luna turned to Amy. "You know he will help you get rid of those redwings. It's time for them to find another host."

To Tony's surprise, the doc seemed to have understood some hidden meaning behind those ominous words because Green Eyes paled a bit.

"I'll try," Amy promised.

Luna smiled, waved to Tony and vanished in the crowd.

"It's alright to think she's weird. Luna is a genius but a bit eccentric."

Tony thought that Brits very much loved to use understatements. Luna Longbottom seemed like a stoned, psychologically unstable woman. But she was clearly not under the influence of anything (her pupils gave that away). The billionaire had never met someone so blatantly out-there in high society. _Or anywhere else_, now that he considered it.

He found her refreshing.

But he would bet a substantial amount of money that those so-called creatures he supposedly had caught were code for something else.

"So what did she really say?"

Amy blushed but there was genuine amusement in her eyes, lighting up her face again. "Well, I still don't understand the ears-reference but she told me the same thing in Fifth Year. Nargles are allegedly invisible creatures that steal your things, according to her. Wrackspurts are responsible for confusing your mind."

"So she basically called me an idiot who is being stolen from with nice ears?" Tony summarized amused.

"Pretty much," Amy admitted blushing slightly.

Tony liked that blush more every time he saw it. _Maybe that was why the seven dwarfs were okay with Snowhite?_ Where_ did that thought come from?_

"You have some interesting friends, Amaryllis Potter-Black," he commented lightly.

Americans used understatements as well if the situation called for it.

"Only one more question: what exactly are redwings?"

"They make you feel sad and guilty, a close relative of the Wrackspurts," Amy explained, with a faraway look on her face.

The same look she had adopted after Luna's last words.

Suddenly her features morphed into those of someone who seemed older than the twenty-six years Amy said she had under her belt. "Thank you for the dancing lesson. I had a good time."

Then she turned around, abruptly walking away.

Tony stared bewildered after her. What had he said?

* * *

Rhodey watched his genius friend pace in front of the couch in his living room in Stark Tower.

He had it bad.

_Very bad._

And Tony didn't even _know_ the girl.

Pepper pressed a glass of whiskey in Tony's hand, sighing softly. She had never seen her boss and friend like this. "How bad is it?" the PA whispered to Rhodey.

However, Tony answered himself, stopping long enough to pierce them with such a lost look they couldn't help but melt.

"She's almost as rich as me, has no family but those despicable Dursleys and I think she was abused in some way during her childhood. During some weird gas explosion, her parents got killed but she survived with that strange scar on her forehead. She is a very talented doctor, but she has never been seen with a guy."

"That's because the last one got killed nine years ago," Rhodey added helpfully. _Oh, this is incredible. Did Tony really develop such a strong crush?_

This new information stopped the billionaire dead in his tracks for a moment.

"Of course," he whispered. Pep watched him wide-eyed.

"She has really _crazy_ friends that all clearly care deeply for her. And even though I've been called an oblivious idiot with nice ears by a strange blonde in a blinding yellow gown, I can't help but _want to trust her_. What the _hell_ is wrong with me?"

For a moment Pepper and Rhodey stared at Tony, astonished by what his rant revealed.

Then his PA began to giggle. Slowly it grew in volume and developed into laughter.

"Oh, Tony. I think, you're having a crush," the redhead announced finally, after catching her breath.

Only to dissolve once again when she caught the horrified look on Tony's face.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Again, I don't own anything you recognize. Harry Potter nor Ironman are mine. Sadly. Maybe I will finally get them for Christmas this year?

* * *

**AN**: Thank you for being so generous with your reviews and following! I'm honored.

So, to answer a few questions that cropped up:

1) They meet about a year/9 months before Afghanistan at the gala. I am still tinkering with a few finer points of the plot; the exact timeline is a little sketchy yet.

2) I'll add new chapters when they're finished. Sometimes I write a few in a row but other times it may take a few days if not longer. Right now I am swimming in ideas though, so let's see where this goes in the end.

3) If you have anything else you might want to tell me, especially concerning my grammar, typos etc, please feel free to leave a message. I try my best, coming from Germany.

Now, on to the story!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

* * *

Amy woke up after four hours of sleep to the obnoxious sound of her alarm.

She had dreamed of Fred, again.

But instead of the expected nightmare, or nice dream that turned into one, he had simply given her this mischievous smile she had loved so much and hugged her goodbye.

As if they were friends going their different ways home after school rather than lovers.

Hermione and Ron were still sleeping in the guest room of Amy's small but comfortable apartment. (Molly was watching Rose for them.)

The young doctor showered and dressed for work. It was only three-thirty a.m.

With a flick of her wand, Amy started the tea and got breakfast started. The pan was flipping the pancakes on its own, plates set themselves on the table for her friends later and syrup flew out of the cabinet.

Meanwhile Amy simultaneously slipped into her red Converse and pulled her long hair up into a pony-tail. Then she scribbled a quick note for her friends, telling them where they found everything and that she was already at work.

* * *

At 4:30 a.m. Amy arrived at the hospital for her first shift. Nina, the nurse on duty at the reception, instead of waving hello to her, motioned for the witch to follow.

A small but nice bouquet of flowers stood on the table in the break-room.

"They came at midnight," Nina, a motherly middle-aged woman, explained. "And according to the card, they're for you, dear."

Amy's eyes widened. Who would...? _Of course._ "For me?"

"Yes. It says 'For the beautiful doc with emerald eyes'. That can only be you."

A small smile spread on Amy's lips.

Maybe Dream-Fred meant it was time to move on? Luna was right - the redwings had to leave. It had almost been ten years now.

In this moment she felt strangely light, as if something heavy had been lifted from her heart or mind. Or both?

Ten years since her last proper date.

Stark might be a black-haired Draco in attitude but she had seen a glimpse of what she considered the real or rather potential Tony under all of the masks he kept in place most of the time. Last night, during their dancing lesson, there had been a moment, fractions of a second, that he forgot all about being an arrogant playboy. Something had shifted in his eyes, softening the steely blue into a sparkling ocean.

But that was neither here nor there.

Only because they were now officially acquainted, Amy would still not consider a relationship with him this easily.

"I love lilies and pink roses," the young witch whispered conspiratorially to Nina. "But who would send me them? Or know that they're my favorites?"

Had Hermione been talking again? Trying to set her up? Maybe they were from someone else and not Stark?

Although Amy couldn't remember her sister talking to Tony without supervision.

Nurse Nina laughed: "Looks like you've got yourself a secret admirer, dear. Come on, I'll help you put them in a vase on the reception. That way you'll see them all day."

Amy thanked her and went to get changed into scrubs.

Already her day was looking up.

* * *

Maybe she spoke too soon.

First, the despicable most sexist ass intern she had ever had the unfortunate displeasure to meet was slated to work under her.

_All day. _

Then a child was brought in at five with a missing finger because the stupid, foolish boy couldn't help but horseplay with leftover bonfire equipment.

After operating for six hours on his finger, because no one else was open for surgery, Amy wanted to scream.

Due to her chauvinistic know-it-all colleague almost killing a patient (another child that had swallowed refrigerator magnets in order to stay home from school) by ordering an MRT while she was gone.

In order to compose her rising temper, the witch took a deep breath.

She really didn't need to cause a scene with accidental magic on top of her already shitty day.

* * *

After Amy salvaged _that_ mess, she finished her last round before taking a well-deserved break.

_Hopefully the nurses will keep Sexist Moron from killing anyone. _

The higher-ups never did since being male apparently excused all of your faults. If she had done that, the only female surgeon, they would have fired her before she could say 'but'.

Such was the world.

Sadly, no other American hospital wanted to hire such a young 'inexperienced' graduate from overseas.

* * *

Amy quickly got out of her scrubs and put on her white trench-coat.

Nina gave her a thumps-up when she signed out for lunch.

Tony was casually leaning against the reception desk, waiting patiently. Thank Merlin nobody had recognized him yet.

Amy sent him an apologetic look: "Sorry for letting you wait."

The billionaire just smiled. "It's alright. You look beautiful, by the way. Come on I know a nice café right around the corner."

Tony steered her out of the door by the small of Amy's back. With a last conspiratorial wink to Nina, he directed Amy to a small cafe two streets over.

Really? Tony in all of his loud-hunky-leather-jacket-glory just didn't know subtle outside of a dictionary.

* * *

When they were seated comfortably at a table for two, the witch allowed herself to focus on Tony rather than worrying about her work or any pending mishaps she might have to salvage later on.

Her new acquaintance wore a Black Sabbath-shirt under his jacket and well-used black jeans which emphasized his butt nicely.

Well, this wasn't exactly what she expected the Merchant Of Death to wear.

"When you said you were a CEO, I was thinking that they wear all the same type of suits."

Tony grinned playfully. "How boring is that? No; I like my style, thanks."

Amy nodded understandingly. She tried hard to push away an image of herself being allowed to wear only her work clothes. Ginny and Fleur would go ballistic over her wardrobe all over again. (Which was a very scary thought. Amy never wanted to spend five days consecutively shopping around the world for 'acceptable clothing for someone of your station and popularity' again. _No_ way in the burning blazes of hell.)

"Yeah. I don't fancy running around in scrubs all day either. I just didn't expect Black Sabbath," Amy amended her words slightly.

Stark seemed surprised she actually knew that Black Sabbath happened to be a band. Where did he think she lived? Only because she didn't swoon at his feet didn't mean she was uninformed about the world she... inhabited.

"You know their music?" the billionaire asked curiously.

"No. I like a few rather...underground bands from Britain myself but I listen to the rock radio station every now and then," she corrected him with a an almost unnoticeable smile.

Tony kind of reminded her of Neville - only he tried to portray the polar opposite. Where Nev had acted shy and insecure, Stark slapped on a winning smile and hid behind the mask of an arrogant bastard.

Somewhere, probably very deep down, judging by the level of his popularity and reputation, there was an insecure man hiding.

Amy was hyper-aware of everything around her, including but not limited to, billionaire playboys.

How much of that bastard-persona was actually acting remained to be seen.

For now she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Merlin, she had only spoken to him twice! There was a lot of stuff buried in his literal and metaphorical closet that she probably rather remained ignorant about.

Tony seemed not to have noticed her short lapse of concentration, asking with a cheeky smirk: "So you're a rock chick?"

Against her will she smiled. Her colleague was half-forgotten already. Somehow this little lunch-meeting managed to distract her mind quite effectively from work.

Or Stark's strange style of interrogation/flirtation.

"Didn't expect that?" Amy shot back, not bothering to correct him. After all she did like rock-music, but enjoyed jazz alongside some of the contemporary singer-songwriters. Additionally she had inherited her dad's old Muggle LP collection. (Stored in his old bedroom in Potter Manor. Why he owned LPs but no player was still a mystery to her. Maybe he took after Arthur?)

"Not really. I was pegging you more as a good two shoes, Lady Green Eyes."

Now Amy was openly laughing.

If Stark ever met Professor McGonagall ("Call me Minerva, Potter. You are not my student anymore.") he'd be rid of that notion so quickly he probably would get whiplash or something. Plus, Umbridge the old toad still blabbered on about all of her supposed crimes against the Wizarding World, providing excellent ammunition against her reputation.

"Heck no! I broke enough rules in school to be in danger of getting expelled more times than I care to count. Honestly, Ron, Mia and I are responsible for half of our old professor's gray hair."

Tony obviously seemed unable to connect the Hermione Weasley he met last night with a rule-breaker.

Well, she could hardly blame him for that - even Ron and Amy sometimes still struggled with that, after knowing her for eighteen years.

"And the other half?" the billionaire wondered curiously.

"My father and his friends - when they were at school - used to be infamous pranksters. Their reputation lingered for a decade even after their graduation. Ron's twin brothers only knew their nicknames but they idolized their pranks."

It had been hilarious to witness their reactions on Amy's birthday party, the one before Bill's wedding, when Ron had accidentally let slip who Moony really was. Simultaneously with her amusement, she felt a dull ache because that night had been the last time Fred and she had been together before he had gotten killed. Instantly Amy had a flashback to the night he died.

She really needed to watch her thougts more closely.

"So another guilty party?" Tony guessed teasingly.

Maybe he _had_ noticed her short lapses.

Stark had asked more than enough questions about her though.

_Time to turn the tables on him. _

"Yes. I can't imagine that you were all that innocent in school either though, Mr. Black Sabbath."

He laughed. "No, I wasn't exactly _innocent_. But it helps if you're the genius kid with the puppy eyes."

Amy grinned slightly mischievously, having caught the innuendo.

Yes, she could see him trying to get out of sticky situations with a charming smile. All good troublemakers at least tried to perfect that technique - according to Sirius and the twins. (She supposed they counted as experts on that.)

They ordered some food along with their coffee, nothing much but enough to get her through another ten hours with Sexist Moron.

"So why did you decide to become a doctor?" Tony wondered.

"My mother was training to be one before... And I'm as Ron put it 'a sucker' for helping others. Hermione calls it 'my saving people thing'. That and my curiosity got me into more trouble than you can imagine."

Actually, Amy had had enough of fighting against mad people trying to take over the world and rather wanted to do something useful with her life.

Something peaceful.

Then she accidentally stumbled over her parents' old journals, reading of her mother's dream to find a cure for several illnesses which had inspired her to seriously consider Hermione's insane suggestion.

After helping with the clean-up, alongside the surviving Aurors and her friends.

Tony smiled over the rim of his black coffee with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Why did you take over the position of CEO at Stark Industries?" Amy shot right back, not missing a beat - outwardly.

"I finished college, MIT, at seventeen with honors. For a while I traveled and enjoyed spending my inheritance. But it got boring pretty quick and then my parents died, leaving me the company. So as soon as I could, I took over. I love playing with things and tinkering with machines. The company seemed to be a good outlet for that," Tony replied honestly.

Amy nodded. This sounded similar to what the twins had told her when she had asked why they wanted to open their joke shop.

"When I was fourteen I won a...substantial amount of money. I didn't want it, I didn't need it and it should have been given to someone else. So when I heard the twins were missing financial backing, I gave it to them and became a silent partner. They were brilliant pranksters and had always dreamed of opening a joke shop together."

Amy sipped some tea in order to compose her thoughts. Talking about Fred still hurt, even if the pain had lessened somewhat over the years. Why she trusted a stranger with this information remained a mystery to herself, although she knew instinctively that T-Stark would not betray her.

Apparently her magic trusted him already.

"Sweets that make you temporarily sick so the teachers would send you to the school nurse but you could just take the antidote and skive off, among other things," the witch elaborated, masking the pain expertly, shaking her head fondly in remembrance of those times.

Although her expression sobered quickly; she leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered playfully: "I'd appreciate it if you kept that to yourself though because their mother would have my hide." For extra-effect she 'checked' if anyone had listened in. She wouldn't put it past those nice agents from the agency-with-a-much-too-long-name.

Tony laughed at her antics. "I pinky-promise."

Amy smiled relieved. "Thanks. So you're into robots?"

The billionaire laughed. "You could say that."

From there on they briefly talked about the merits of robots and Star Wars (Hermione had insisted on a marathon after exams).

Not once did Amy worry about work in those thirty minutes. She forgot all about her annoyance with her least favorite intern.

Instead she caught herself laughing while simultaneously blushing at Tony's innuendos and slightly dirty jokes. He seemed to have made it his mission to elicit as much laughter from her as he possibly could.

It suited him much better than those corny lines from last night.

After her short lunch break, Tony even insisted on accompanying her back to work. Probably a first for both of them.

* * *

Maybe the redwings really could finally be banished by Tony.

Maybe she appreciated his dirty dry humor – and his looks didn't hurt either.

Maybe she could see herself befriending him.

Maybe, at the moment a very faint possibility, even fall in love, given the right circumstances. (Right now they were too different for anything to work except a friendship in her opinion. Besides, she and Fred had started out as friends too.)

Maybe.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Neither Harry Potter nor Marvel's Avengers are mine.

* * *

Merry Christmas!

Hope you enjoy, although this is mostly a filler-chapter.

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 3: **

* * *

Tony sported such a broad grin that Pepper was slightly afraid to ask how the lunch-date (Tony's words) went. Then her impatience and curiosity won over though.

Besides, she needed to know of any potential scandal in order to save what she could before the media caught wind of it.

"_So_?" Pepper asked with raised eyebrows.

The billionaire grinned charmingly at his PA.

Every other female in the building would have swooned. Not that Tony didn't know that.

"She had a crappy day according to my accomplice but I tried to make her laugh and forget about whatever was worrying her. Although I am not certain she connected the flowers with our date."

Pepper almost laughed out loud at his childish giddiness.

It reminded her of a puppy with a happy-bone. Or sugar.

_Lots_ of sugar.

"Oh, hell. I have it bad, don't I?" Tony asked in his usual, slightly sarcastic tone.

His PA/friend nodded wordlessly. There was nothing else to say.

"Oh well. She looked like she didn't mind me all that much. No hard feelings from last night. But I still don't have her number," Tony reported.

Pepper raised her eyebrows surprised. "You don't?"

The billionaire shook his head. "No. After I told her about my MIT certificate, Amy retorted that I should 'figure it out myself'."

He looked slightly dejected but then a confident smirk played over his face.

Pepper bit her tongue to keep from cheering for the Brit.

The PA wasn't mean but she had escorted too many of Tony's 'ladies' out after a long night to be ignorant of his easy way to charm himself in their panties. Therefore the fact that his first crush/love/whatever could withstand jumping his bones so easily was a point in her favor.

So long as she didn't hurt Tony with that attitude.

However, Rhodey had mentioned that the attraction worked both ways.

"I think I might like her," Pepper muttered.

Tony laughed absentmindedly. "She's best friends with a British brunette version of you. I don't doubt that you'd get along just fine." Because he was already furiously typing away on his keyboard he didn't see the small, satisfied smile on his PA's face.

* * *

Over the following days, a new routine established itself. Whenever Amy had a lunch break at a decent hour, Tony waited for her at the reception, ready to 'kidnap' her from work for a little bit.

Trying to let her relax for half an hour and just enjoy life, laughing about something or other.

Tony learned quickly that his new acquaintance had good, salvageable and bad days.

Amy surprised him a few times on good days with her openness, joy about simplest things like sitting outside or just as dirty jokes as some of his best. (He actually added a few to his collection.)

When Amy had a bad day but wasn't actually feeling down, he tried to entertain her with various stories about experiments gone wrong or DUM-E's latest mishap. She sometimes didn't get his movie-references so he had to improvise. That often evolved into either a discussion of ridiculous but highly improbable pranks on their boss/the board or cars and motorcycles.

On a really bad day, he ordered her a large cup of Earl Grey with three sugar before they even sat down. Mostly he provided either background noise or tried for silent comfort.

It was surprisingly easy to lose himself to his many, swirling thoughts in her presence.

* * *

Of course Tony had, immediately after their first lunch-date, hacked into several classified files and discovered her number - which was highly protected and not found in the boring, good old phone book.

While he was at it, Tony hacked the hospital's work schedules so he knew on which days Amy was free to kidnap. Her personal file told him where she lived, so he directed the random flower deliveries that way.

Always keeping up a theme of lilies and roses in all kinds of variations.

To his surprise, he noted that Amy had taken a few days off in the beginning of May. She had not mentioned any vacation plans to him during their thirty-minute-lunches.

However, he couldn't find any reservations, neither flight nor hotel, under her name anywhere. Which left the possibility of her staying in New York or someone inviting her along on a private jet/yacht.

Considering her close circle of friends, this seemed highly unlikely.

What surprised him though was that Amy had added an Andromeda Tonks and Theodore Lupin, who she claimed was her godson, as emergency contacts alongside Hermione Weasley.

What exactly were the duties of a godmother? And why had she not mentioned them before? Who was Andromeda Tonks?

Tony was curious about Theodore Lupin and Mrs. Tonks.

On the school website of a small British private elementary he found the picture of a dark-haired, amber-eyed nine-year-old. He seemed to like sports, spending time with his 'Auntie' Amy as well as reading.

According to his grades, 'Teddy' shone in sciences but also creative writing.

He was a highly intelligent and very happy child despite losing his parents so early in life - his teacher noted in a school-intern report.

_Another orphan?_ Tony started to wonder if there was an invisible sign hanging over Amy's head summoning all orphans in her vicinity to the beauty.

Andromeda Tonks turned out to be Teddy's current guardian - his grandmother. She looked like an aristocratic, had very warm eyes, laugh-lines but also a tiredness lurking in her face that he recognized from Amy.

On her bad days those shadows hid her face, aging her temporarily.

Digging a little deeper, Tony found out that Andromeda Tonks had lost first her husband sometime in '97 and then in May 1998 her only daughter along with Teddy's father, Remus Lupin.

Remus' father had died in suspicious circumstances while his mother was still alive but stayed in a long-term ward of a small psychiatry since shortly after her first son's death.

There were a lot of moving around during Lupin's childhood, always leaving behind concerned neighbors suspecting abuse.

Between Nymphadora Lupin née Tonks and Remus Lupin had been an age-gap of thirteen years.

Now thoroughly intrigued, Tony looked deeper into Amy's parents. Maybe that's how she had been named godmother?

_Bingo_.

James and Lily Potter named both a Sirius Black and Remus Lupin candidates for guardianship should something happen to them.

Considering the two unusual names, Tony doubted two Lupins by that same name existed in Britain - or anywhere else.

There was also an Alice and Frank Longbottom on the same list of people. Which explained Amy's closeness to Neville Longbottom, in a way.

The billionaire tried to track them down too but found that both elder Longbottoms had been declared insane shortly after the Potter's death.

Sirius Black happened to be an insane mass-murderer who allegedly killed fourteen people on November 1, 1981.

Try as he might, Tony couldn't find mention of a trial anywhere.

Only a small note from some cop that declared Black deceased and apparently actually innocent of his crimes.

_Imagine that._

* * *

Somehow this was not what the billionaire had expected to find out about Amy's childhood when he broadened his research a little.

Teddy didn't own a computer and the ever-elusive boarding school apparently all of these people had graduated from never stored their files online.

So after the age of eleven any previous reports stopped.

Remus Lupin, James Potter and Sirius Black had been home-schooled while Lily Potter née Evans went to a regular elementary school where she lived.

The Potters had always donated good money to several charities, Tony learned from scanned newspaper articles Jarvis had dug out. They apparently could trace their family back to the medieval ages.

Amy had not lied when she said she came from an prestigious family.

And it was definitely hers, judging by the close resemblance to Charlus Potter, her grandfather.

To Tony's surprise, Charlus and Howard Stark had been sort-of friends during Howie's stay in Europe. There even was a picture of the two of them, Mrs. Potter, some important-looking generals and Churchill in one of the classified files the army had recently digitalized. (Another classified picture showed the Potters and Captain America which Tony swiftly ignored.)

Charlus was a few years older than Howard and had already been married when that particular picture was taken. Dorea Potter actually was related to Sirius and Andromeda in some weird inbred way.

Nonetheless, she looked beautiful with high cheekbones, clear blue eyes and full lips.

If Tony was honest with himself, Amy looked very much like her grandmother.

James had inherited only the best (minus the messy hair) from his parents and given those genes to his only daughter. Only instead of hazel eyes she had inherited Lily's unique emerald.

It felt strange to see a body-double of the remarkable woman he slowly got to know in a picture taken almost seventy years in the past. (although he was slightly curious why they were involved with topsecret-missions.)

"Sir, I checked for accounts in Lady Potter-Black's name again as you requested," Jarvis interrupted Tony's thought process. "There is a trust fund for her godson, containing close to fifty hundred thousand British pounds, as well as another one for a Rose Weasley. The latter has only recently been opened."

"So Amy has been named godmother of her best friend's first child?" Tony mused out loud.

"Yes, sir."

It was very strange that the Potters, Lupins and Longbottoms were prepared for the worst even before reaching legal maturity in the States.

Besides - who still married at eighteen?

Both the Potters and Longbottoms had been incredibly young parents.

Neither of them lived past the age of twenty one.

Why would James and Lily Potter name over four people possible guardians for their newborn child? It almost seemed as if they _expected_ them all to get killed.

Why didn't they travel or work abroad if something or someone threatened them?

They had enough money to blow. (Except Remus. He was dirt-poor, but apparently quite intelligent.)

Why had no one cared if Sirius Black, a British noble from just as prestigious a family as the Potters, rotted in prison for another man's crimes? Where were his friends, his family? His lawyers? How had anyone gotten away with that in the first place? Why didn't the government investigate this injustice?

The only thing that connected them all was their mysterious schooling after turning eleven.

And the tendency to get killed at a young age.

Sirius Black had been Tony's current age when he died due to unknown circumstances; Remus Lupin only two years older.

This whole drama was suspicious.

Tony had a feeling that he missed something.

Something _big_.

But he didn't know what.

Without the school's name or their records he couldn't try to figure it out.

All of this just added a whole new layer to the mysterious aura Amaryllis Potter-Black exuded.

Eventually he would get to the bottom of this though.

Tony always did.


	5. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **Neither Harry Potter nor Ironman/Avengers are mine.

* * *

Hope you had a great Christmas!

Love, W

PS: I added a little Christmas present called **'Darling, would you just kill them, please?**' explaining how Captain America met the Potters. Maybe you want to check it out too?

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

* * *

May 1 started out badly and unfortunately wouldn't improve for Amy.

She had been called in at ten last night to help out at Saint Cross. There had been a huge accident two blocks from the hospital, involving three car wrecks full of people on their way home after dinner and an after-work drink. (Which at this point she wouldn't mind too much herself.)

Everything had been hectic in her sanctuary and even though she was supposed to already be on her way to London, Amy didn't really mind the distraction.

She had planned to get drunk tomorrow and stay home for the day, sleeping off her hangover.

So essentially this unfortunate accident saved her stash of Firewhiskey.

For now.

After checking up on a senior citizen who had stumbled over a rug in his home, luckily only resulting in a bruised hip, Amy surprised herself by finding out she had worked for fourteen hours already. Before that she had finished a twelve-hours-shift, getting exactly two hours of sleep before Anita called her back to work.

Adrenaline had managed to hold Amy over for now. She needed nourishment in some form sooner rather than later.

The witch sighed, looking over the beds.

So far today had been relatively tranquil.

No severed limbs.

No suicidals.

No drunks.

* * *

Amy sighed as she went to change out of her lab coat and scrubs. Today, Tony wouldn't join her for lunch since she had told him yesterday that Amy flew back home.

He didn't seem to buy it fully.

Amy would miss his company at lunch. Over the last three weeks the billionaire had shown up without fail, even on her bad days, never prying but just memorizing her habits.

It had come so far that Stark changed to Tony in her mind.

Permanently.

Especially after he bought her a huge cup of her favorite tea before analyzing if she needed someone to provide white noise or silence.

Somehow the billionaire had managed to find a way under her skin.

Amy realized that she was attracted to him, his humor, but also his wicked mind.

On white-noise-days, Tony talked about new ideas or theorems he had either established himself or read about. The highly complicated quantum physics went straight over her head but she watched enthusiasm dance in his eyes and couldn't help but listen to his voice.

It was endearing how much he transformed into an excited five-year-old before her eyes.

The witch wasn't intimidated by the genius - rather intrigued.

If she started to ramble about whether the black caterpillars should be minced rather than cut into thin slices for, let's say the Morpheas Potion, she doubted he could follow either. However important the discovery or improvement of the potion happened to be. (It was one of her latest brain children. Morpheas worked similar to Muggle sedation without the desorientation and nausea after waking up. Hermione, George and Amy had tinkered with the recipe until the potion worked flawlessly with spells or other potions.)

Amy simply respected Tony's love for all things complicated Sciences.

She thought he behaved quite sweet - sending her flowers in random intervals, bribing Nina to give her treacle tart cupcakes, refusing to run in the other direction on her bad days and adding a huge packet of Earl Grey to the break-room - in secret.

Those little things meant a lot more to her than expensive bribes which he could have chosen.

Over the last few weeks his arrogant bad boy charm had turned endearing as well.

Tony never hid his attraction to her which boosted her ego, even if Amy didn't need anyone's approval to hold her head high.

All in all, Amy mused while slipping into her shirt, Tony was cautiously regarded as a semi-friend by her.

* * *

When she stepped out of the locker rooms, the Healer found herself confronted with a now very familiar sight.

Tony Stark's hunky body leaning casually against the reception desk.

Nina had contacted him? Why? For _her_?

The matronly nurse seemed to have adopted her much like Molly Weasley in the summer of 1992. She had been clearly worried over the last days because of the growing shadows under her eyes.

Tony smiled at her. "Are you off now?"

Nina replied before Amy could even open her mouth. "Yes, she is. Honey, you look like a wilting flower. Get some rest and enjoy your short vacation."

The young witch stared at her for a moment before swallowing a small knot in her throat. Nina obviously really cared for her, judging by the genuine concern. "I... Thank you. Don't let yourself be treated like shit. Okay?"

"Only if you let your...friend pamper you a bit. If you're coming down with something just sent me the notice. I'll get it cleared with upstairs, dear. Understood?"

Amy smiled. "Yes, thank you. I'll be fine."

A little bit of her homesickness vanished with the new knowledge of the nurse's genuine affection for her.

Tony pulled Amy close, casually putting his arm around her shoulders. "Where do you wanna go today?"

"I'm not hungry," she replied automatically.

"Ah ah. You Brits might survive with less than three large meals a day, but humor me _starving_ American."

Involuntarily Amy smiled a bit. Their America vs. Britain banter had come easily to her.

Tony always called her bullshit with some sort of cultural excuse.

"That explains why a large percentage is overweight," the witch retorted absentmindedly.

The genius halted, forcing her to look at his indignant face. "Are you implying I'm _fat_?"

Amy laughed, retorting cheekily: "_Darling_, everyone only puts on those shoes that fit them." (The usage of corny nicknames had been initiated by Tony as well.)

The billionaire spluttered indignantly. "Oh, you...! Happy, she called me fat!"

Happy Hogan, Tony's chauffeur, just shook his head amused. "What am I supposed to do now, sir?"

Tony threw his free arm in the air in mock-exasperation. "Help me!"

Amy smiled at their antics.

Maybe her day could improve, after all.

* * *

They ended up in some vegetarian restaurant Amy had never been to before. Much less knew of its existence.

Amy thought it was a bit ironic that one of the biggest weapons manufacturers actually refused to eat animal meat.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Tony asked after setting their drinks in front of them.

Stalling, the witch sipped on her hot tea. _"I was planning on getting drunk enough to sleep for two days?"_ Didn't that sound lovely?

She grimaced.

Naturally Tony noticed. "Come on. I did much worse things before, I'm _certain_."

Amy wasn't. Well, in the getting drunk-category he probably trumped her worst by miles but _still_.

"I was planning on drinking so much alcohol that I forgot the date, my name and pretty much everything else for a few days," she blurted out finally.

Admittedly, Tony didn't seem overly surprised, taking her words in stride. "Is there a reason why you actually took days off for that?"

Yes. Yes, there was.

One's magic and alcohol-influence never worked out well when combined in large numbers.

"Yes," the Healer replied, but did not elaborate.

"Why did you lie about flying to London? I checked the reservations. Your name wasn't on them."

Amy sighed resignedly.

She could hardly tell him that she intended to Floo over to the Burrow, could she? Maybe she should have bought a ticket either way. Although Tony could probably check if she had been on the flight.

Oh, she was too tired for serious talks today, additionally to the many flashbacks the date always inspired.

Honesty it was.

"Nine years ago," Amy began with a thick voice, "over fifty people died in an attack on our old school. Including my only remaining pseudo-uncle, his wife and my ex-boyfriend. I knew a lot of them from a...club and some were good acquaintances if not friends."

The witch stared unseeing in her tea, a tear slipping from her eye. Furiously, she wiped it away.

It wouldn't do to show weakness in public.

However now that she started, Amy couldn't stop herself.

"By all means, I should have died that day too."

Why couldn't she _stop_ crying? Or talking? Or preferably both?

Amy hadn't cried since Fred's funeral. What had changed?

Tony stared at her, shocked. There was a myriad of emotions, of questions, swirling in his eyes.

Suddenly, he had slid into the seat next to her, tentatively putting his arms around her.

Amy breathed in the by now familiar after-shave and, after nine years, finally lost her composure. Her...friend tightened his hold on her, comforting her with his presence.

"I got hit by a shot that should have killed me. So why did I survive when Teddy lost his parents? When Ron lost his brother? When others lost their siblings, friends, lovers or spouses?"

Tony didn't say a word in response, just holding her tightly as long as Amy cried.

"I'm sorry," Tony repeated the words from their first real meeting.

Embarrassed about her outburst but feeling oddly lightened, Amy wiped her last tears away. She was surprised that he actually sincerely meant it.

"Thank you. I know it was a long time ago, but I'm still not over it. Sorry for crying all over you."

Tony smiled surprisingly softly at her. "That's what I'm here for, sweetheart."


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize belongs to me.

* * *

Thank you for reviewing!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

* * *

On May 3, Tony woke up in someone else's bed.

Now, that was nothing new or shocking to him. However, still being dressed in a shirt and boxers while holding onto a very hungover, dreaming Amy was.

He never actually slept with women in a bed other than for pleasurable purposes.

Or exhaustion after such endeavors.

The billionaire took one moment to remember what exactly had led to their (for him) strange sleeping arrangement.

Amy had introduced him to some local brand of Scottish whiskey that _burned_ down his throat.

Beforehand she had spilled about some attack on her school, almost getting killed among other things.

Tony was humbled by her finally letting him in, trusting him to keep her secrets safe from anyone else.

No one had ever done that - until now.

Somehow Amy managed to get under his skin.

Her looks had drawn him in at first but her intellect, her stubbornness, her pure '_goodness_' which shone brightly through the cracks in her facade - it was much more than just sexual appeal that kept him interested in her.

Whenever Tony thought he had finally uncovered something significant to her character and actually began to feel as if he _knew_ Amy, she gifted him with a little bit more about herself, changing his opinion once more.

However, she wasn't a puzzle - Amaryllis Potter-Black rather resembled a mosaic.

A mosaic containing a _thousand_ little pieces in different shapes, colors and order.

The billionaire liked to find out more; to add another crumble to his collection. In return, Amy gained a little piece of trust, so much so that Tony had begun to confide a few secrets in her. The genius was very pleased none had made it into some tabloid yet.

He doubted they ever would.

Yesterday, Amy had been too unstable to be alone - even for Tony's standards.

So he claimed to be sick, due to some drinking excess which sadly everyone but Pepper bought. When he told her about genuinely worrying for Amy, she had sounded like a proud mother or sister. Strangely enough, she had not even scolded him once for missing some board meeting he wasn't interested in in the least anyway.

Absently he watched Amy sleep.

Slowly it came back to him why exactly they ended up in bed together without having sex.

For one, she had been totally trashed.

Tony wouldn't take advantage of someone like that. Well, he probably would have of some socialite bimbo that threw herself at him - but this was _Amy_.

Two, violent nightmares.

The genius had been woken rudely by a piercing scream shortly after falling asleep on the couch. (Yes, he had tried to be good for once.) Amy had seemed so vulnerable, so _fragile_, all of a sudden, he couldn't help himself.

Tony didn't want her to suffer like that. The doc deserved much more, in his opinion, after being willing to look beyond appearances and getting to know the _real_ him.

Without any regards to preconceived notions or rumors.

She had lived through hell, now he wanted, strangely enough, to comfort her.

Never before had Tony Stark felt the urge to soothe someone's pain rather than run in the other direction of crying women.

So he tried to figure out how to cheer her up while pretending to be still asleep. Just in case she woke suddenly.

After seeing how depressed Amy still remained on this date, nine _years_ later, Tony calculated she needed at least two weeks to get back to her normal, usually polite/warm self. Maybe more.

But what to do?

She worked ten hours or more usually, just like him.

Her family was an eight-hour-flight away, friends were non-existent in New York.

Tony knew Amy hated her boss but couldn't just quit if she wanted to continue working as a doctor in New York.

The genius concluded that Amy needed to get out more, away from the hospital or her apartment. To live a little again.

So, he thought back to what interested her. Amy held an unholy enthusiasm for all kinds of sports, amongst other things, which meant Tony would drag her along to a 'typical American baseball match'. As soon as she was comfortable with going out again.

* * *

(About three weeks later.)

* * *

Happy suppressed a highly bemused smile as he drove his giddy boss to a certain Manhattan apartment.

The last three months were incredibly entertaining for all of Tony's staff. Especially because they didn't have to clean up after one of his many one-night-stands ever since the fundraiser gala.

Tony leaped out of the car as soon as it stopped. He vanished in an elegant 1900's building, only to reappear quickly with a beautiful black-haired woman. Next to Tony's high and broad frame she seemed quite small and fragile.

Obviously someone had told the European to dress casually because she wore ripped blue jeans and a white checkered shirt with red Converse. She didn't try to impress Tony with flashy, unpractical high heels or short skirts and Happy thought that her authenticity was what really reeled his boss in - even if he didn't know it, consciously at least.

Nonetheless, Tony's love interest carried herself with an efficient grace, belying her status in high-society.

* * *

At the stadium vendor's the billionaire bought her a Yankees cap, gently putting it on her head. Amy adjusted I so her hair was now in a ponytail.

"But what if I don't like the Yankees?" the ravenette asked playfully.

Tony stared at her incredulously for a moment before dramatically shaking his head. "That is simply not possible. Are you hungry? There's no such thing as watching baseball without proper food."

Amy laughed and just let herself be dragged by her hand to a popcorn stand, sporting a bemused expression. (Ever since her confession/drinking-session in May, they had grown quite relaxed around each other. Additionally, Amy loosened up a lot, laughing more often than before.)

Tony's inside reacted funnily to her bright, carefree smile.

After buying a sufficient amount of popcorn, coke, corn-dogs ("You can't live in New York for months on end without ever having eaten a genuine American corn-dog!") and finding their seats, the game began.

Happily the billionaire noted that she hadn't minded holding onto his hand all throughout the pre-game excitement. Or that she never shied away from sitting so close to him that their legs were touching just that little tantalizing bit with every breath they took.

In a bold but cliche move, Tony put his arm around her shoulder, as he pointed out some of the players' moves to his date.

Amy didn't protest when he just let his limb rest there.

In fact, whether consciously or not, she snuggled closer to him. (Similar to what she had done when they had shared her bed three weeks ago.)

Tony felt like a lovesick teenager as his heart jumped and pumped faster than before.

_Really, what was she doing to him?_

The same thing happened whenever their fingers brushed against each other while fishing for some popcorn.

* * *

"You know, I think I like baseball," Amy whispered in his ear during the break. "Thank you for taking me out to the game."

In some spur of the moment deal of fate, he turned his head right as she kissed his cheek.

It wasn't a spectacular Hollywood movie-kiss but Tony's skin tingled as if they'd made out.

Instead of letting her go, he bent down and kissed her again, properly this time. Amy's eyes closed on their own accord, a lazy smile spreading on her lips even when they were kissing.

Therefore it didn't matter that they were probably going to be featured on some stupid tabloid cover tomorrow or taken pictures of or...

Nothing really mattered but finally kissing the woman he had fallen head over heels for. (Now he could admit it - to himself at least.)

"I think I like watching baseball with you," Tony retorted playfully.

Amy threw her head back, laughing completely freely, for probably the first time in his presence.

She was a beautiful sight. Her pale cheeks carried a faint blush after their snogging session. Those deliciously pink lips had turned a shade darker, contrasting nicely with her pale skin. But best of all - her huge emerald eyes were sparkling lively in the sunshine.

Tony gently put a strand of hair behind her ear, before pecking her lips again. Not sure what to say, he blurted out: "You have a wonderful laugh, Princess."

Amy sighed happily. "Thank you, but please don't call me princess. It's far above my station," she joked playfully.

Now it was his turn to laugh. "Alright, Gorgeous. But I think you're much more than a measly princess."

Amy grinned mischievously. "Oh really? I thought you were a sucker for bad girls?"

Tony choked on his laughter because his traitorous, brilliant brain conjured very tempting images of Amy in conjunction with 'bad girl'. Those bore careful re-examination - later. Much, much later. Amy was definitely not ready for anything but kissing. Therefore Tony would discard those images.

"Turns out I'm more of a 'goody two shoes by day/mischievous by night'-type," the billionaire corrected her after composing himself.

She kissed him again for that.

"Well, I've always had a thing for bad boys. Merlin only knows why."

He cocked his eyebrow curiously. "Merlin?"

Amy blushed. "It's an expression from school. You kind of get used to it after a while."

The doc was a shitty liar, because Tony could smell an excuse from ten miles away, against the wind. But there was also some truth behind her words which is why he let it drop.

Instead Tony pulled her close, smiling softly as she relaxed back in his arms.

"You're a cuddler, aren't you?" he muttered in her ear.

"And you aren't?"

"Good point, Gorgeous."

Her melodious, tinkling laugh cut off when he kissed her again.

* * *

On the way back to her apartment, Amy leaned into Tony's side. She seemed to be exhausted from the excitement of the day, coupled with her last shift which had lasted thirteen hours.

Tony didn't mind serving as a pillow at all. He pulled her close again and absentmindedly kissed her forehead.

A content, happy smile appeared on both of their faces even though neither noticed.

It was rather cute, Happy thought.

Amy closed her eyes and fell asleep on - her boyfriend? Tony wouldn't mind being called her boyfriend. The label bore careful examination when his Brit woke up again.

"We're here, sir," Happy announced a little while later.

"Thanks, Haps."

In an uncharacteristic show of chivalry, Tony gently carried Amy inside.

Somehow Happy doubted that his boss would let this one go as nonchalantly as most of the others. Unless something drastic happened.

Like her being an impostor.

Or a psychotic mass-murderer hellbent on world-domination.

Which, considering the rather gentle nature of the woman, seemed nigh impossible.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Santa forgot to bring Harry Potter or the Avengers for Christmas. Again! So I sadly still don't own either.

* * *

However, this is a bit more cavity-inducing fluff. (Don't worry, there will be action later.)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

Amy woke in her own bed, still dressed but without her shoes on. A lazy smile spread on her face as she figured out that Tony must have carried her inside. Their date yesterday had been wonderful.

Until she slipped up.

With a groan she let herself fall back against the pillows.

"Are you going to spend all of your day off in bed?" an amused voice asked from the door.

Amy blushed but quickly denied it.

"You, my dear, are in love. Don't deny it! It's written across your face," Andromeda insisted.

The young Healer sighed. "I think I might be."

"Tell me."

Andy settled next to her on the bed, seeming eager to learn more. Their relationship had evolved so much over the last nine years that Amy considered Andromeda an aunt or another mother-figure.

"Well, he's a Muggle. A genius, billionaire, adrenaline-junkie, bad boy Muggle that has been spending my lunch breaks with me, for months now. He's a famous scientist and loves all things physics. He's also very sweet to me. I think he's the one sending me flowers on random days and took me out for a baseball game yesterday. When we were kissing..."

Unconsciously Amy adopted a dreamy expression that could rival Luna's best.

Andromeda chuckled. "Oh, you are in love alright, sweetheart. Now who is he?"

A knock interrupted their girl heart-to-heart. Amy jumped up and grabbed some clothes, to get changed.

Sighing, Andromeda went to open the door.

Through a slit in the bathroom door, Amy could hear Tony's unmistakeable baritone. Paling, she swiftly showered and dressed. _Who knows what Andromeda got up to?_

* * *

Said witch measured the handsome man in front of her. She nodded approvingly and let him inside.

"Amy just woke up," Andromeda informed him. "I'm Andromeda Tonks."

"Tony Stark. It's a pleasure to meet you."

That moment Teddy poked his head out of the kitchen. "Grandma? Who are you talking to?"

His hair was a bright blue, as usual when he felt excited or happy.

"Amy's boyfriend," Andromeda replied, shooing him back inside the kitchen. Out of the corners of her eyes she saw Stark smile at those words.

"He's a Muggle," the older witch explained quietly to the nine-year-old.

"Oh. I'm Teddy and that's my grandma Andromeda. She made waffles. Would you like some?"

Unable to say no, in the face of the small boy, the billionaire said yes.

"I'm Tony. Did you come for a visit?"

"Yes. We wanted to check on Amaryllis since she tends to bury herself in work," Andromeda confirmed.

Tony nodded understandingly. (He knew his girlfriend used work as a coping mechanism, much like him.)

"Amy is my godmother and we meet up once a month or when she has time," Teddy informed the brunette conspiratorially.

Andromeda placed a plate of waffles in front of the genius.

"They're like siblings," she said, rolling her eyes fondly.

Tony smiled. For a moment he thought about an age-appropriate question that didn't include school or parents. "Do you like the Zoo?" was obviously the first thing he came up with.

"Yes, do you want to come with us? We wanted to go there today."

Andromeda's eyes twinkled in an oddly Dumbledore-ish manner. She knew that Tony was terrified of children - his look when he caught Teddy first was very telling - but wanted to spend time with Amy. So which would win out?

"Are you sure?" the billionaire replied uncertainly.

"Of course! Besides, Auntie Amy likes you so you can't be that bad." The blue-haired pre-teen scrutinized Tony very carefully. "If you hurt her I will beat you up Marauder's style."

Teddy grinned toothily at the completely out-of-depth man in front of him. Andy would make sure he got a large dessert tonight. She knew Molly would get a kick out of this one when she told her about this little incident.

"Amy must care a great deal about you, but I want to emphasize that we are not going to let her get hurt on purpose. She isn't the only one that has connections," Andromeda stated matter-of-factly but with an underlying warning in her voice.

* * *

Just then Amy rushed into the kitchen. Her hair was still slightly wet and subsequently a larger mess than usual. The younger witch had thrown a casual red summer dress on along with her beloved Converse.

"Good morning, Ted. Hi, Tony. Sorry for forgetting!" Amy said quickly.

Andromeda held a steaming plate in front of the younger witch. "Oh, calm down, Amaryllis. It was nice getting to know this young gentleman a little more. Wasn't it, boys?"

Obediently both nodded. Tony seemed a bit terrified of Andromeda. Amy bit back a hysterical laugh. She had guessed Andy would threaten him.

"Sorry, that's my godson Theodore 'Teddy' Lupin and his grandma Andromeda Tonks. Ted's dad was a pseudo-uncle of mine."

"_Breathe_, Gorgeous. It's alright," Tony smiled at his nervous girlfriend before turning to Andromeda. "These waffles are delicious."

"Thank you, dear. Do eat up. You'll be needing your energy today," Andromeda advised with another Dumbledore-TwinkleTM sparkling in her eyes.

Amy relaxed a bit. "Okay. What were you planning for today again?"

Teddy cried indignantly: "The Zoo! You promised last time!"

His godmother ruffled the electric blue hair affectionately. Of course she had not forgotten but it was fun to mess with him a little. "Alright. But you are wearing your cap. I don't want to get lectured by some old hag again."

"When did that happen?" Tony asked bemused. Even though this confrontation with a nine-year-old was sudden, he began to enjoy getting to know another side of Amy. Besides, hadn't he expected something like this to happen? Amy loved her family - he doubted there was something she refused to do for them.

His girlfriend huffed indignantly, subconsciously crossing her arms in annoyance. "Ted and I were playing on a meadow in Central Park and suddenly this old matron marches over to me. Out of nowhere! And starts to lecture me - _loudly_! - about proper hair colors for young boys!"

Andromeda looked particularly amused when Amy worked herself up. Teddy just grinned mischievously at Tony. (The billionaire thought in a detached part of his brain that his girlfriend was incredibly sexy when she got riled up.)

"I mean _seriously_! What business is it of hers? It's _not_ _her_ son or grandson! Besides, I don't get a say in his color-specific choices. So I asked her what self-respecting lady nosed around in other people's lives. That finally shut her up!"

Amy noticed that Tony was barely restraining himself from laughing out loud. Teddy giggled behind his hand and Andromeda sported a rather large grin. The younger witch huffed again, before blushing, embarrassed.

"And that was your mother's temper coming through," the ex-Black laughed.

Now the younger witch blushed even more.

"Lily Potter was a redhead with the temper to match," Andromeda explained to Tony, "James was the only one foolish enough to rile her up purposely."

Amy thought she might have detected an understanding glint in Tony's eyes. But that could have been just a trick of the light.

Teddy grinned. "Uncle George told me about that time you yelled at Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione in your Fifth Year after I told him about the lady incident."

Thoroughly mortified, Amy stared at her plate. "Yeah, well..."

Tony leaned forward. "What did she do?"

"Uncle George claims that Auntie shouted so loud that 'everyone in a _ten mile radius_ could hear her dulcet voice,'" Teddy replied, awe written all over his face.

Tony chuckled, clearly very amused. Amy looked helplessly to Andromeda, seeking assistance.

Receiving: none.

"So do you have a favorite animal?" Teddy asked curiously. Thankfully the Metamorphmagus changed the topic on his own.

_ Finally. _

Tony grinned. "I like lions and tigers."

"Me too! Amy was a Gryffindor and she loves lions," Teddy exclaimed approvingly.

"Our school is separated into four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin," Amy explained patiently between bites, "Their symbols are a lion, badger, raven and snake, respectively."

"I want to be a Gryffindor like Dad and Amy," Teddy piped up.

Andromeda sighed. "Sometimes he behaves just like Sirius, I swear."

"Did your mom go to a different house?" Tony asked curiously.

Teddy nodded solemnly. "She was a Hufflepuff. That's okay but I rather be a brave lion than a loyal badger."

_Oh dear_, Amy thought. For a moment she could see her father in Ted's place.

Obviously her newly-established boyfriend couldn't quite comprehend the seriousness behind this admission.

"I've almost been Sorted into Slytherin, did you know? It's not either or but whatever trait is most common," Andromeda admonished slightly. "I used to be a Ravenclaw myself."

The younger witch nodded. "I've almost been placed there as well. But Draco's presence in the snake pit quickly changed my mind."

"So how does the school determine where to put a student?" Tony asked curiously.

"It's a personality test. We can't tell you more, because it's a well-kept school secret," Andromeda replied, sending a meaningful glance at Teddy's eager face. "Supposedly, Gryffindors are noble and brave, Hufflepuffs hard-working and loyal, Ravenclaws studious and scholarly while Slytherins are ambitious and sneaky."

Amy pulled a face, remembering Pettigrew's pathetic face in the Shrieking Shack thirteen years ago. "Yeah. _Supposedly_."

Andromeda quickly changed the topic back to the zoo, then shooed them off to put on shoes.

* * *

To Tony's obvious astonishment he was seamlessly included in the family activity. Amy wouldn't let him pay for the tickets since he had been invited last-minute.

Besides, she was an independent woman. She didn't need him to pay her way.

Teddy took Amy's free hand and dragged them off to the big cats first.

Andromeda waved them off cheerfully, seating herself in the zoo café.

* * *

Amy sighed when they were as alone as they would get. "Sorry for springing this on you. I forgot they'd come what with work and being kidnapped."

Tony kissed her quickly after making sure Teddy was suitably distracted. Evidently her boyfriend tried to be good.

"So should I expect to meet more family whenever I spontaneously come around next time?"

Amy blushed but nodded. "Ron is like a brother and his family kind of adopted me."

She gave him a sheepish smile. Tony quickly kissed her again. (Teddy was staring fascinated at a large lion that yawned widely.)

"Lay it on me, Gorgeous," her boyfriend demanded playfully.

"Well, he has a vicious younger sister and five older brothers. Although one died in an attack nine years ago."

Amy didn't notice the audible gulp from her boyfriend. She was stuck in a quick flashback of Fred's death. (Thankfully those had receded over the last few weeks, as her mind was occupied with their rapidly progressing relationship after they shared her secret stash of Firewhiskey .)

Teddy tugged on her hand, effectively returning her to reality.

"Hey, Amy can we go to the snakes next?" the blue-haired boy asked.

"Sure."

* * *

Teddy led them over to the reptile house. He ran off looking at all the exhibits. Amy felt oddly reminiscent when she spotted a Boa Constrictor directly in front of her after entering the exhibition. A small smile crossed over her face. Tony clearly noticed.

Curiously he asked: "What is so funny?"

"When I was ten, the Dursleys and I went to the zoo for Dudley's birthday. There was a Boa just like this one. She got loose," the young witch explained to Tony absentmindedly.

Right then she knew she needed to tell him her biggest secret. He would find out either way that she hid something so substantial from him. (If Tony hadn't already.) However, she wasn't ready to share the existence of Magic with him yet. They had only truly met each other about three months ago - and officially started dating yesterday.

Only if they were getting really serious (which she still doubted considering his infamous playboy reputation and her self-enforced isolation for nine years) Amy decided she would tell him. And only then.

However, the witch returned her focus back on the memory she was relaying for him. Even though she and Dudley had a loose but neutral relationship now, Amy still disliked Piers Polkiss greatly.

"It was completely harmless even though everyone else was freaking out, running around like headless chicken. The snake just wanted her freedom. Even though Dudley and his best friend at the time swore they were almost eaten."

"I think I like that idea," Tony muttered darkly, obviously remembering some of the unkind words Vernon had muttered under his breath during the gala.

The Healer sighed, leaning into him a little bit as her watchful eyes followed Teddy around the exhibition. "Dudley is alright. He's just even more socially awkward than me. Do you have plans for tonight?"

"Do I?"

"Now for sure. Teddy and Andy wanted to initiate a true Marauder's cookout again."

For a moment Tony seemed very confused why she had offered an invitation to him. He was obviously as new to this as Amy herself. "But didn't they come to spend time with you?"

Amy smiled. "Of course, but trust me, they want to get to know you a little bit. Plus who can say no to the wonderful, delicious British kitchen?"

Tony chuckled, nodding in a snobbish manner and adding with a very bad fake-accent: "Indeed!"

Amy laughed, kissing him chastely. She had seen out of the corner of her eyes that her godson had finished running around, looking at everything interesting. Now he was ready to move on.

"Ew! That's icky!" Teddy informed them seriously. His nose was wrinkled, showing off his disgust quite clearly.

However, Amy just laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Come on, Mini-Moony. We still have to see the gorillas, giraffes and, another of my personal favorites, elephants!"

* * *

That afternoon, they went shopping at a nearby supermarket before returning to the flat. Amy noticed that Tony seemed quite a bit out of his depth.

"Are you alright?" she asked worried.

Despite this, her boyfriend just smiled a bit wistfully and nodded. "Yeah. I just can't remember the last time I did something this homey other than today."

Andy obviously heard his reply because she hugged him out of the blue. "Then it was high time! You can't live off of adrenaline all the time. Relaxing with those we consider family is worth a day or two every month. Have you ever been inside of a kitchen?"

Tony laughed in a poor attempt to recover his blasé mask. "Yes. But I only know how to make coffee and toast."

Andy patted his cheek like a mother would and smiled warmly at him. She obviously had already adopted Tony into the family's folds. "Well, then we'll just have to teach you, dear."

_ So she approved_, Amy surmised from their interaction. Grinning happily, the young Healer walked off with Teddy, quietly debating what to serve as dessert. They ended up agreeing on an easy-to-make chocolate cake everyone would like.

* * *

Andy smiled at Tony who looked thoughtfully after Amy when she left discussing something in hushed tones with Teddy.

"Don't worry. We all have our baggage to carry. I don't say this because I want to pry into your private life. Just know that we won't hold anything such as missing out on family activities against you. Life is too short to not be lived," Andromeda said, adopting a slightly wistful look. Then she snapped out of her thoughts, holding Tony's gaze. "If you two won't work out no one will hold it against you. I'm just saying this because of all those threats you received, including mine. We all are very happy that you managed to get Amy out of her shell so quickly."

Tony gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief before smiling back at the black-haired woman. "Good to know. But I have a question and I expect a serious answer."

Andromeda considered his words seriously and nodded. "So long as I can tell you what you wish to know with a good conscience."

A playful light sparkled in the young man's eyes. "What in the world does Mrs. Longbottom mean when she refers to my ears as 'nice'? I have been puzzling over this mystery for three months now and still not gained an inch of understanding. Amy couldn't help me out either so you see I'm in desperate need of clarification."

Chuckling, Andy shook her head. "Luna has told you that as well?"

"She did. In a very bright yellow ball gown I have never seen on anyone before," Tony confirmed. "Nor do I expect anyone else to pull it off."

Andromeda chuckled at his words. She had watched the new couple's interactions and was surprised by his devotion to Amy, considering what the younger witch had revealed this morning about this man. Andy appreciated Tony's playful nature, reminding her of a young Sirius, and his apparent loyalty to someone he had just met three months ago.

Amy seemed to have impressed this American quite heavily.

"I have no idea what exactly she means by that, I'm afraid. However, she is normally right when she gives you advice. Although usually she hides the true meaning behind creatures only she heard of. To be honest, just Neville and Amy understand half of what she really says," Andy told him seriously. Then she allowed herself a small fond smile for the eccentric witch. "Luna probably wore yellow because she thought it added good luck to the fundraiser. She always wears yellow to weddings too. Even to her own."

Tony nodded, not truly understanding but accepting her information for now. "Amy mentioned that she is a genius, just a slightly eccentric genius."

Andy chuckled again, bemused by his subtle attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "Luna is Luna. There is no one like her and there certainly never will. Sadly, I have no idea how to explain her cryptic behavior to you because none of us understand it either. But I suppose that's part of her charm."

"Yeah. No one has ever called me a clueless idiot with nice ears before," Tony admitted. "It was refreshing."

* * *

Amy smiled, having heard the last part of their conversation. Teddy grinned broadly at Tony. "Auntie Luna is awesome! She made me a dream-catcher for the nasty nightmares and painted my room for my last birthday."

Andy smiled, ruffling her grandson's hair slightly. "Ready to check out, you three?"

"We've got everything we should need for tonight's feast," Amy reported.

"Very good. What did you two plot when we were talking?" Andromeda asked curiously.

"Oh, just the Marauders' world domination," the emerald-eyed witch replied nonchalantly, shrugging slightly.

Teddy giggled loudly, easily going along with the banter. "Yep. I get to eat a _ton_ of chocolate every day and Amy gets a lot of treacle tart and we are going to prank all the meanies and bad guys into good guys. And I'm gonna figure out how to bring back Mummy and Daddy and Amy'll invent the best medicine against cancer and -"

The older witch just sighed, already used to Teddy's antics. The young boy resembled his mother painfully much when he started to ramble excitedly.

Although Tony adopted a mock-serious look. "How will you two manage all of that between only yourselves? Maybe I can help out a little bit?"

Teddy contemplated this for a moment. "Maybe. Can you prank people?"

"I used to, all the time. But I'm normally an inventor for all kinds of things."

Amy skillfully hid a laugh behind her hand as Andy and her quickly unloaded their groceries.

The bored-looking cashier didn't even glance up to gape at Tony, unlike all of the other people in the line behind them. Maybe she was immersed too deep in some sort of bubblegum-and-elevator-music-induced haze.

Teddy thought over the offer seriously before reluctantly agreeing. "_Maybe_, on a temporary basis. Amy might need an assistant with the medicine. She is kind of old and not as fit as me. But I know she won't give up until she discovered a way to help everyone."

Said Healer mock-glared at her cheeky godson. "Who are you calling old, Squirt?"

Tony snickered, but conspiratorially leaned down to Teddy's short statue. "From someone with a little more experience with women - never mention their weight, age or height. They really hate that."

Andy laughed. "Very good advice, Tony."

Meanwhile Amy paid quickly and everyone grabbed a bag of groceries.

It was time for the Marauder's cookout.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Teddy and Tony cut vegetables for Andy while Amy prepared the batter for her special triple chocolate cake. The radio was playing softly in the background.

Ever since yesterday, Amy felt as if she was temporarily high. She had dreamed only good things for a change, sleeping seven hours straight. Tony managed to get her out of a self-dug hole and right now she was practically bursting with happiness.

One of her favorite songs came on. Before Amy could stop herself she quietly sang along to the music, absentmindedly finishing the cake and putting it in the pre-heated oven. She felt Tony's eyes on her, relishing in the new warmth that had found its way back into her chest.

Andy delegated a minor task to the younger witch, speeding up the process slightly.

Fifteen minutes later, Teddy left 'to wash his hands' and Andy just 'had to set the table in the living room'. The radio station was still playing softly, this time a romantic ballade.

Slowly, Tony bent down, kissing her a little more hungrily than before during their zoo visit. Somehow one of them began to move to the music. In no time at all, they were dancing, or more accurately swaying, while kissing each other deeply.

When they parted, Tony gave her a genuine, arrogance-free smile.

Amy's stomach flip-flopped.

"So you introduced me as your boyfriend?" he finally asked playfully. There was a serious note in his voice.

The Healer blushed slightly, trying to avert her eyes. Tony was having none of that though.

"No, she just assumed."

"Well, then. I have to do this officially, don't I?" Here his voice lost the playfulness. "I have no idea where this relationship is going, honestly. If you want out, tell me now. I could understand if you rather not be with me..."

Amy lightly boxed his chest. "I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't want to be with you, _Anthony_."

Tony grimaced at the use of his full first name. "Never call me that again, _Amaryllis_."

"Only when I'm cross with you."

Sensing he wouldn't get a better deal, Tony agreed reluctantly. "But I'd love to be your boyfriend."

She grinned impishly at him. "Only if I get to be your girlfriend."

He chuckled, his chest resonating with the sound. "This is incredibly cliche."

Amy pulled his head down to her level, whispering against his lips: "So what? I love the random flower deliveries, the cupcakes and the tea you smuggled into the break-room. It's a bit cheesy but very romantic."

They kissed once more.

Therefore neither spotted a high-fiving Andy or Teddy lurking by the cracked-open kitchen door.

"I thought you didn't..." She grinned. "Tony, it's very sweet. I just didn't want to get myself involved without spending some time learning more about you. I don't need bribery in any form but what you chose as...persuasion..."

Tony blushed faintly, apparently being quite embarrassed. He quickly kissed her just to cut her off.

"So even if you don't quite believe in yourself, I'm going to for the both of us," she finished out of breath.

It was sappy, cliche and totally romcom-worthy but Amy felt that everyone needed a little sappiness in their lives, now and again.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything you recognize.

* * *

Thank you so much for your great reviews! Love to read them! This chapter had to be split, otherwise it would have been too long. I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless!

* * *

**Warning**: bits of bad language

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

Tony came home the following morning, just in time to see Pepper storm out of his bedroom. She looked quite worried.

"Pepper?"

"Tony! Where were you?"

The genius smiled boyishly. He had spent the night with his girlfriend. "At Amy's."

That stopped his PA dead in her tracks. "Oh, right. You have to sign some papers for me and get going to the airport. You have to be in London this afternoon. I made sure to send you the file via JARVIS."

Tony rolled his eyes at her, signing whatever documents were necessary according to Pepper.

"We didn't have sex last night," the genius informed her bluntly, ignoring all of his least favorite nanny's etiquette lessons. "Teddy and Andromeda stayed overnight too. I'm not interested in a _ménage a quatre_ with an old lady and her grandson, thank you very much."

Pepper nodded absentmindedly, pointing at another dotted line. "The blue-haired boy?"

"Yes. He's Amy's godson."

His friend nodded once more. "You are in the news. Yesterday, on top of the game, has several people speculating about your relationship all over again. Especially because of the zoo."

Tony shrugged, long since used to constantly being in the limelight.

And consequently the tabloids.

"You are not the type to get to know the families of your flames usually," Pepper elaborated while simultaneously stacking the already signed documents in her arms again. "Some think Teddy is her secret son, possibly even with you, while the rest already talk marriage."

Tony shuddered slightly. He sighed in relief because Pepper didn't produce another piece of evil paperwork for him to sign.

Instead, his friend had stopped to look him over questioningly.

"She's Amy," the genius replied nonchalantly to the unasked question as if that explained everything.

In a way, it probably did.

"I hope you had fun," the redhead smiled slightly.

The memories of the laid-back, relaxing day flooded back into Tony's brain.

"Yes. Yes, I did," he admitted, surprising himself. "Even though it was such a home-y, family day and I had no idea what to talk about with Teddy. Apparently he likes lions, school and pranks. Threatened me if I hurt his 'auntie' too. But I kind of like him. Strange, huh?"

By this point, Pepper had successfully shoved him in his bedroom so he could change. Tony knew her unspoken signals after over eight years of working together.

"No, it's sweet," she corrected him.

Surprised, the genius turned around to observe his friend and PA.

Pepper smiled softly. "You are opening up to her just as much as Amy let you in. By spending time with her family, you've _officially_ become her boyfriend. Until now, Amy's always been holding you at a distance, even while you gained her trust. There is a lot of things you don't know about each other, but the point of a relationship is to accept your partner without wanting to change him. And the most remarkable trait of Amaryllis Potter-Black is that she doesn't care about however many women you've slept with, or that you are close friends with me, or that your mind works differently than others'. She seems to just accept you as yourself, from what you've told me."

Tony stared at his friend with wide eyes.

Pepper noticed and smiled: "I think Amy is a keeper, Tony. Someone I would like to meet, one day. Now you have to get changed and leave though."

* * *

On the flight to London, Tony reconsidered everything Pepper had told him. It appeared as if she - for probably the first time ever - approved his choice of woman.

"JARVIS, pull up everything the press printed on Amy and me from the last three months. File name: 'Petal'," Tony ordered. Immediately his AI went to work. The genius flew over a few nonsensical articles which he mostly ignored in order to save his remaining sanity.

One or two reports caught his eye, though.

* * *

_**Cozy Couple**_

_It seems as if billionaire Tony Stark finally found his match in Dr. Amaryllis Potter-Black, an upper-class aristocrat from Britain. They were seen kissing and cuddling at the Yankees game last night, sharing popcorn and flirting rather than watching baseball. _ _Today, the infamous playboy has been sighted with Dr. Potter-Black's alleged godson and his grandmother, visiting the zoo together.  
__**How serious is this newly outed couple?  
**__Stark is not known for his long-term relationships, much less as a family man. Reportedly, the billionaire has turned down dates before if the partner in question was a parent. _ _So what differentiates Amaryllis Potter-Black from the rest? We have tried our best to answer that question.  
_ _**One**__ - the Brit is a genius in the emergency room._ _Amongst her colleagues she is known for her quick thinking, incredible stamina, especially in dangerous situations, and allegedly has the patience of an angel when dealing with her patients. _ _Additionally, Amaryllis has finished medical school over five years early, at only twenty-six.  
_ _Meaning, Stark and Potter-Black could easily match wits.  
_ _**Two **__- the Brit has her own massive fortune to fall back on. Forbes estimated her to be worth around two billion dollars.  
_ _So Stark is save from possible gold-digging.  
_ _**Three**__ - they are both from very prestigious families; Amaryllis can confidently trace her lineage back over a thousand years. _ _Both had to live with the knowledge of their ancestors' achievements and the pressure of the media.  
__**Four**__ - they befriended each other before forming an item. Stark and Potter-Black share their lunch-breaks whenever they can, according to an anonymous co-worker of Amaryllis.  
_ _And lastly, the two immerse themselves completely in their jobs, only emerging for the odd gala or fundraiser.  
_ _Stark seems to have found someone who has a lot in common with himself, probably able to understand him better than any of his prior affiliations.  
_ _We wish the new couple all the best._

* * *

Tony lowered the tablet thoughtfully. Yes, Amy did understand him a lot easier than any of his prior love interests. She was special, exceptional, like that.

There was so much more to this woman than met the eye, that still kept her shrouded in mystery.

Things he would never let the media get their hands on.

He flicked to another article.

* * *

_**Opposites Attract...**_

_...Confirmed! Tony Stark is in a relationship with Lady Amaryllis Potter-Black. We hardly believed our eyes when pictures of the new couple appeared online. _ _But who is this mysterious foreigner that managed to snag the playboy billionaire?  
_ _Potter-Black is the sole heiress to two prestigious British families, 'filthy rich' according to friend Rebecca Van Der Broken and a breathtaking beauty to boot. She holds a doctorate in medicine, studied to become a surgeon, specialized in emergency rooms, and finished training at only twenty-six._ _The Brit is highly talented in her field, currently working at the Saint Cross hospital in Manhattan.  
_ _However, Amaryllis also is known for generous donations to charities that support orphans, the rebuilding of war-torn countries and development of various cancer counters.  
_ _Among high society she is renowned for being polite, kind and very reserved about her private life.  
_ _'Amy is such a modest, family-orientated person. It's always a pleasure to converse with her,' Rebecca Van Der Broken confided in our reporter. 'She loves to help people, even at her own peril, and inspired me to establish my foundation.'  
_ _Other guests of the 'Petals of Lily'-fundraiser gala (where the couple apparently first met) concur with Mrs. Van Der Broken's opinion. _ _'Tony only had eyes for Lady Potter-Black, all night long. She seemed polite but reserved - which is to be expected considering her status,' aristocracy expert Frederick Poliere confirmed._  
_Has Tony Stark finally found his match?  
_ _We will keep you posted. _

* * *

Sighing, the billionaire ran a hand through his hair. Amy wouldn't be happy about those articles. (Sadly those weren't even the worst - or most ridiculous of the lot.) Tony's phone rang. The screen read: _Obadiah_.

_'Oh, great. I forgot to tell him about this_,' the genius groaned inwardly. '_Better to get it out of the way before he blows his top at me again_.'

"Yes?"

"Am I invited?" Obie asked in a nonsensical tone.

Tony frowned. This was an odd beginning to another lecture. "To what?"

"The wedding."

For a second the dark-haired man wanted to fling his phone against the wall. Or hit something. So what if he was seeing someone?

"There is _no_ fucking wedding! We've started to date_ two days _ago!" Tony exclaimed, thoroughly frustrated. "Why do people think we're going to get married anytime soon?"

An amused chuckle from the other line told the genius that Obadiah enjoyed teasing him about that. Tony supposed it was his punishment for keeping his relationship from his surrogate father.

"Because you have been acting like a couple in public for a while now."

Tony groaned, out loud this time. "Whatever. Why are you calling me about those brainless articles?"

"I want to meet her. She might be a threat to the company - a spy. All happened before." Admittedly, Obadiah didn't sound quite convinced himself.

"Amy?" Tony laughed incredulously. "Honestly? The woman is a _saint_, Obie."

"Nonetheless, I want to meet her when you get back to Malibu. You are coming back to California, aren't you?"

Hence Tony's eye-roll. "That's bullshit and you know it. Besides, I was planning to oversee the remodeling process of Stark tower myself."

Obadiah chuckled. "Sure. Your fling definitely doesn't influence anything in this decision."

Cue the genius' annoyed growl. "I am not having a _fling_, Obie. Amy is not some brainless bimbo!"

"Well, I'm going to see for myself then, aren't I?"

Tony threw his hands in the air. "Only if she agrees. Besides, I ran a very extensive background check on her. It was airtight!"

Obadiah sighed. "Oh, c'mon. Tony, I just want to meet her, see for myself why you're putting in this much effort for someone."

Said genius barely restrained himself from shouting 'she's worth it!' but kept himself in check. He didn't need another lecture on his case.

"How about we meet at 'La Flûte' in three days at seven for dinner?" Obadiah suggested.

"I will ask if she is free, Obie. However, Amy works a lot and currently has guests from overseas. It might not work out," the billionaire cautioned.

A peeping sound informed him that his surrogate father had ended the call.

Oh hell. He was screwed.

* * *

For a while Tony contemplated if he should call Amy, considering if she was working or not. Then he dialed her number.

"Good morning, Tony!" Teddy's chipper voice greeted him.

"Hi, Teddy. Can I talk to Amy for a second?"

"Sure. I'll get her."

Tony listened as the boy ran off in the distance only to be replaced by bare feet on wood.

"Morning, Tony. How are you?"

"Fine. I'm on my way to London right now."

His girlfriend seemed to nod, obviously waiting for the real reason he called. Tony was surprised by how well she could read him already.

"Obadiah, he's kind of a family friend, called and invited us to dinner in three days. To a French restaurant in Malibu."

"Sounds nice. At what time?"

"Seven."

"Hmm, let me check my schedule for a moment."

Tony could hear the rustling of paper. Amy still owned a pocket planner? Well, she barely used her phone, why was he surprised?

"I have the early morning shift from two to twelve. After that I'm all yours," Amy announced.

This had the genius frowning. "What about Teddy and Andromeda? I thought you three would spend more time together?"

"I wish we could but Teddy's school starts up on Tuesday morning again. They'll be leaving tonight."

"Oh, okay."

"Please, be careful when you're in London. There are still reports of minor terrorist attacks all over the country," Amy added, sounding worried - for him.

Tony couldn't help but smile a little. "I'll be fine, Gorgeous. Don't overwork yourself."

"Hypocrite," his doc shot back.

The genius chuckled. "I'll kidnap you in three days at our usual time. Be ready."

His impish girlfriend laughed. "I'm always ready."

The double entendre was not lost on Tony. _Later_, he reminded himself firmly.

"I'll say hi to the others from you, alright?"

"Er, sure. Thanks."

They bantered a little bit back and forth before Teddy got too impatient and Amy had to hang up.

* * *

London was as cheerfully gray as Tony remembered. The weather was typically British, although he heard they had some sun over the last few days. The business meeting with one of the suppliers' CEO was boring, especially since the man really had no clue about his own company. All he cared for were numbers.

Preferably black ones.

On the other hand, Tony explored London after the meeting with a fresh perspective.

This was the city Amy had lived in during her college years, grown up in.

Maybe - should their relationship hold - they could come back together one time. Show him her favorite haunts. Or those little stores only natives knew of.

Clearly, their family day had rubbed off on him.

Tony felt a strange connection to the young doctor he currently dated. She was ten years younger than him, lovely even on her bad days and his polar opposite.

Amy also shared a lot of his traits.

How could that be?

The genius knew she was keeping something from him, something that was the key to understanding her fully. To unlock the mystery surrounding her past, her dead relatives who were acquainted with Howard Stark, of all people.

To unmask what made her tick.

Although Tony asked himself if he truly wanted Amy to lose this elusive touch of mystery.

On one hand, his brain went haywire with every little possibility it could imagine, urging him to get to the bottom of things.

On the other hand, Tony respected that everyone had secrets.

The genius certainly didn't wish to start talking about his lonely childhood or abysmal school experiences.

Amy was perfect to him, cracks, quirks and all. She trusted him, albeit not telling him all of her deepest, darkest secrets.

Nonetheless, his curiosity itched to find out why she had turned into the person she was today.

Three months ago, Tony thought she was a beautiful woman who he wanted to bed.

Now, here he was, planning for something in the distant future.

_Their_ future.

It frightened him a bit - how close they had gotten in such a short time. Sure, the mutual attraction certainly helped matters along, but there was something, an underlying _feeling_, that told the genius he could trust Amy.

A quote from 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury flitted through his mind. He couldn't remember the exact page, but it went something like this: "He says I'm a regular onion! I keep him busy peeling away the layers."

Tony asked himself how many layers were left. Or if he would give up before finding out.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but my fantasy. And a staggering stack of books.

* * *

Okay, here is part two of the last chapter! I changed the plot a bit so that Tony will go to Afghanistan soon. (This means, the plot of Iron Man 1 will get pushed back a few months.)

From now on, fluff might get rare so enjoy it while you can!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

Tony noticed that Amy was just as nervous as he had been when being confronted with Teddy and Andromeda. It reassured him that neither of the two was experienced in this whole 'serious relationship' thing.

Although Amy probably still trumped anything he knew.

But Tony had been a fast learner if he applied himself.

So the genius squeezed his girlfriend's hand gently before opening the door to the high class restaurant. Amy smiled gratefully at him before retreating slightly behind her Lady-facade. It was so automatic, Tony wondered if she even noticed the change anymore.

At least his doc was willing to give Obie a chance by retreating only slightly rather than fully, the genius thought to himself.

* * *

Obadiah got out of his seat when the waiter showed them to their table. Pepper was seated at his side.

She looked like she rather be elsewhere though.

Amy gave her a subtle, shy smile, wordlessly assuring Pepper she was welcome company. It was obvious to the billionaire that Obie had forced the redhead to attend.

"Tony! You look wonderful! Not as beautiful as this young lady, of course," Obadiah exclaimed jovially. He clapped Tony on the shoulder, before pressing a kiss to Amy's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Stane," the doc replied politely.

To her boyfriend it was obvious she disliked being made a spectacle of which Obie's loud exclamation succeeded in doing perfectly.

People from several tables around them stared.

Nonetheless Amy remained polite as can be.

"Allow me to introduce you to Miss Virginia 'Pepper' Potts. She is Tony's personal assistant and girl for _everything_," Obadiah continued.

To the genius it became quite clear why exactly Pepper had been dragged to the meeting.

Not because she was part of his friends, but rather to test Amy's jealousy.

Instead of reacting coolly to the redhead, his doc smiled more genuinely at Pep.

"You're one of Tony's best friends. He's told me a lot about you, Miss Potts. It's nice to finally meet you in the flesh," the Brit replied kindly.

Amy seemed to think Pepper attended in order to protect Tony from her in case she was unsuitable for him. (The genius certainly could think of Hermione Weasley doing the same thing.)

Pepper smiled less uncomfortably at the doctor, shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Lady Potter-Black. Just call me Pepper, everyone does."

"Please call me Amaryllis then. I don't care that much for my title."

Hence Pepper smiled more genuinely at the Brit.

Obadiah observed their small interaction and nodded approvingly to Tony.

Apparently Amy had passed the first test.

"How was your flight?" Obie inquired while they waited for the waiter to return with an aperitif.

"Boring," Tony shrugged. "I secured the deal with Hudson, so we should be fine for now."

Pepper sighed relieved. "Very good."

"Amaryllis, what exactly do you do for a living?" Obadiah asked next.

"I'm a fully-trained surgeon, specialized on emergency rooms," Amy replied politely.

"Why did you choose New York? Surely you received many offers after graduating?"

Cue Amy's slight frown. She obviously thought about something unpleasant. "Yes - a few hospitals were interested in hiring me, not only in Britain. However, I wished to move out of the country for personal reasons, so I accepted the offer from Saint Cross."

Tony realized she was talking about her late ex-boyfriend's premature death. It must have been incredibly painful for her to leave her family behind but even more painful to constantly be surrounded by happy couples.

The genius noticed the way Amy's guard had gone up a little more. She was still polite, kind, but less open with her replies.

Pepper seemed to have concluded the same thing as Tony because she glared at Obadiah for bringing such a sad topic up.

"Why did you choose to specialize in emergency rooms?" Pepper asked, trying to get his doc to talk about something she was passionate about.

Tony grimaced slightly.

However he also noticed the way Amy relaxed when she focused on Pepper. Obviously she didn't hold the question against his PA.

"During my internship I felt at home in the emergency room. It's my sanctuary when I'm at work."

Pepper nodded understandingly. "How are your godson and his grandmother? Tony told me about your visit to the zoo before he left for London."

Amy thawed further at the mention of Teddy. The genius gave his redheaded PA the thumps-up behind his girlfriend's back. Obadiah simply continued to observe.

"Teddy and Andy are doing well, thank you. They thoroughly enjoyed their trip to New York."

Tony grinned charmingly at Amy. "Andromeda's waffles were great."

The waiter appeared with some champagne flutes.

"I propose a toast to the new couple," Obadiah raised his beverage, starting off another round of interrogation mixed with teasing.

* * *

The smoking-clad waiter returned, bringing four menus and a wine list with him. "Today, the chef recommends our freshly caught crab-consommé, a lobster half on a bed of summer vegetables and tarte tatin," the man announced professionally. Although his eyes lingered on both Amy and Pepper.

Obadiah thanked him and sent him off. "The fish is very good here, especially the salmon," Pepper advised Amy.

It seemed as if the two of them had bonded already. How remained a mystery to Tony.

Amy sent the redhead a grateful smile before focusing back on the menu.

"Found something you like?" the genius asked quietly.

His girlfriend gave him an unguarded grin over the top of her menu and nodded. He smiled in response.

God, they had to be disgusting to watch.

"I think, I'll give the salmon a try. What about you?"

"Their tuna is always good, too."

Pepper smirked at Tony when she thought Amy wasn't watching. Thankfully, the waiter returned before she could tease him, taking their orders. Obadiah asked for a bottle of expensive white wine without consulting anyone else. In order to mull it for Amy who had to work again tomorrow evening, Tony ordered a bottle of water to go with it.

His girlfriend thanked him quietly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot you probably had to work tomorrow," Obadiah apologized jovially.

"No harm done, Mr. Stane," Amy waved off politely.

Pepper nodded approvingly to the genius, smiling proudly at him.

"So what are your hobbies? We know Tony loves to tinker with his cars for nights on end but barely heard anything about you, Amaryllis," Obadiah continued to interrogate Amy.

God, this was awkward.

Obviously there was an undercurrent of dislike between the two and Tony had no idea why. They never even met before.

"Well, spending time with my family and friends is one of the things I like the most. Although I also enjoy riding my bike; unfortunately my schedule rarely allows it. Otherwise I take lessons in self-defense."

Pepper seemed surprised by this admission.

Tony winked at her. "Still waters are deep," the genius teased playfully.

"I pegged you as a more artsy woman, to be honest," Pepper admitted.

Amy smiled kindly. "You are not the first to say that, Miss Potts. I'm more of a jock than an artist, although I do enjoy photography exhibitions and music recitals. Sadly, it's mostly something connected with public appearances which I dislike."

Pepper smiled in response to the admission. Tony knew she could detect the honesty in Amy's voice just as well as him.

"You both love to tinker with machines?" Obadiah asked intrigued. He purposely misunderstood her words.

Tony laughed, it was too absurd a thought not to, clarifying: "No. We just love to drive around in fast cars. Plus Amy has a real _babe_."

"A what?" Pepper repeated, choking on her wine.

Glaring at her boyfriend for the poor joke, the doc elaborated: "My godfather left me his vintage bike. He fixed it up himself (so I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to drive around on American streets), it used to be his 'baby'."

Pepper obviously breathed a sigh of relief. Then she smiled sheepishly at his girlfriend, saying: "Sorry. One Stark is hard enough to handle at the moment."

Amy returned the gesture. "It's alright."

Obadiah continued to interrogate Amy over the first and main course. Tony noticed how uncomfortable his girlfriend felt the longer Obie insisted on putting her in the center of attention. Neither his own nor Pepper's interference helped.

* * *

Then, they finally reached the last course. Dessert. At this point even Pepper was annoyed with the way Obadiah continued on, trying to invade Amy's private life.

"What do you think about weapons manufacturing?" Obie asked unexpectedly.

Tony glanced uneasily at his girlfriend who stared unblinkingly into Obadiah's eyes, not backing down. She was finally pushed over the edge, it seemed.

There was a fire burning in those emeralds Tony rarely saw directed at people. Much less from the gentle, kind doc. Nonetheless, Amy kept her composure outwardly, never lowering her guard further than that.

"To be honest, I am not a great fan of wars. Much less of people who instigate them solely to gain power, monetary wealth or rare resources. I can understand fighting for a cause, like protecting your loved ones or something one believes in. I can understand the need to feel protected and using weapons to achieve that. So if you manufacture weapons to gain money, power or anything else but protection for your country's soldiers, I don't approve, for whatever it's worth."

There was a beat of silence after Amy's latest admission.

Tony hadn't quite expected her to be this open about her opinion. It really must have left an impression on her when her school had been attacked.

The genius could appreciate her opinion. She had clarified she wasn't against weapons manufacturing per se, but against what his company did.

Tony invented the weapons he did because the stories of World War Two that his father had told him when he was drunk (and at home for once) had left an impression. He really didn't want anyone else's father to come back as jaded as his own.

Of course it never hurt that the military paid good money for his inventions.

Amy blushed slightly under their scrutiny but refused to back down and reverse her opinion. They had asked, after all.

Tony smiled at her, trying to convey it was alright.

He hoped they were.

"Why do you feel this strongly about a topic like that?" Obadiah probed unrelenting.

"Mr. Stane, I have just met you _today_. Sadly, you, as a stranger, are not privy to this information since it pertains to my private life."

And the temperature dropped several more degrees between those two.

Tony resigned himself to the fact that Obie and Amy probably never would get along.

Pepper smiled approvingly at the genius and then switched her gaze to his girlfriend. Tony knew she had taken a liking to the Brit.

"I am sorry for this interrogation, Amaryllis," the redhead apologized.

Amy smiled. "It's alright. You are just worried about Tony. My friends would probably do the same thing."

The rest of that dinner was very awkward for everyone involved, but it ended quickly after the mini-outburst from his doc.

Tony felt truly sorry he had introduced Obadiah to Amy and vice versa. Although his girlfriend had tried to control her temper, it had gotten the better of her. Tony was just surprised about the many prods her ego took before she was pushed too far. Apparantly, she really had tried to get along with Obadiah.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything. Except general craziness.

* * *

AN: For all those who disliked Obadiah in the last chapter - get ready to blow up. This is might a be more infuriating than just innocent questions over dinner.

Love, W

* * *

**Warning:** Language, innuendo, brief torture-flashback

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

* * *

After that disastrous dinner, Amy wanted to either curl up somewhere with a hell of a lot of chocolate ice cream and just wallow in her misery for a while because she had tried so fucking hard to be as open-minded as possible or cry.

However, her instincts had screamed at her to get far, far away from Obadiah Stane.

If her magic trusted Tony from the get-go, it recoiled Stane almost as much as from the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle fresh out of the diary or Bellatrix's magic.

Amy had barely controlled the urge to storm out of the restaurant and leave that man behind but she didn't want to hurt Tony's feelings even more.

At the moment, they were alone in his Malibu mansion.

Apparently he had designed it himself which explained a few things. Like the many technology gadgets installed everywhere. Or the spaceship-ness.

Nonetheless it had a little feel of '_home_' to it that soothed her agitation.

The witch found out that Tony could play piano and several other instruments when he gave her a small tour.

There still remained a certain awkwardness between them but it lessened somewhat as they both calmed down. Amy hoped this didn't disappoint Tony too much. She would apologize for her part in that disaster to him as soon as possible.

Right now, the witch was trying to fall asleep. Her magic wouldn't easily settle down in new places - another relict from the war. It didn't matter how much she forced herself.

* * *

"I'm just saying that you don't know anything about her, Tony! You said it yourself! There is something she hides from you,_ something big_!" Stane's loud, angry voice boomed through the house. It echoed due to the sheer size and openness of the building.

Amy gave up trying to fall asleep as a bad job, contemplating for a short moment if she should just call in sick tomorrow and Floo to Potter Manor. Right now it sounded incredibly tempting.

"Yeah! So what? I hide a lot of things from her too! Like Howard and his drinking problem! Or Maria's countless affairs! Things I don't want to even think about. Am I supposed to tell her all of them as well!"

The Healer felt flattered that Tony defended her. She suspected it was hard for him who knew so very much about everybody else to accept the remaining secrets between them.

Right in front of his nose, too.

This positive feeling was quickly replaced by churning guilt though, because she had not told Tony something so damn important her whole life revolved around it.

"No, of course not! But why do you trust her? You met her _three months_ ago. You _just_ started to date. How do you expect to trust her if you don't know anything about her past?" Stane retorted loudly.

The guilt churning in her stomach worsened. Amy bit her bottom lip to keep herself from interfering. That would do her no good at all.

"I know a lot about her past!"

"What? _Tell me,_ Tony! You _know_ that her last boyfriend died in a suspicious attack on her _secret_, _nameless_ boarding school _no one_ has heard about. You _know_ she lived for sixteen years with those prim and proper Dursleys who you _suspect_ may have abused her in some form. You _know_ that she is rich, but you can't find _any_ of her bank accounts except for those she opened for her godchildren. You _know_ she is the last Potter and Black from pictures of _classified_ files you hacked into after _she_ told you to figure out her number. You _know_ nothing but superficial things that may or may not be true! _Because she told you!_"

"Amy is a terrible liar!" Tony countered valiantly.

But said witch sadly had to agree with Stane. Mostly. She had kept a lot of the things that had happened to her during her childhood from her boyfriend. Mainly due to magic being heavily involved.

The Healer knew she would be extremely lucky if Tony didn't call for a straight jacket and let her explain before laughing it off as a bad joke.

"So she makes you think! What if she is a better actress than you expect exactly because you don't think she's capable of lying! I'm just worried about you, Tony!" Stane responded indignantly, going for the full guilt-trip effect.

The ravenette snorted in the soft pillow she had buried her head in.

Stane was worried alright - not necessarily because he didn't want anything to happen to Tony. (She wouldn't go so far a to accuse him of wishing her boyfriend harm.) Stane was slowly losing his influence on the younger genius. During the whole conversation in the ridiculously over-priced restaurant the 'family friend' had tried to put her in a bad light.

As a shady character best avoided; completely unsuitable for someone as capricious as Tony.

Amy hated this manipulative behavior. Stane reminded her too much of others who wanted to lord their power or influence over others.

Someone wanting to gain more than anyone else - especially Tony. Because her boyfriend just inherited what Stane put so much work in.

While the Healer realized this, the noisy fight outside slowly ended.

The witch had opted for light sleepwear - an emerald-green camisole and some matching hipsters - due to the warmer weather. The last nights Tony had spent at her place, she always wore an old, faded red shirt with a lion printed on the front and hipsters because she didn't want Teddy or him to discover her countless scars.

The illusions of unblemished skin would always fade in her sleep, because her magic recuperated as much as any other organ. (If she needed to explain their absence, the witch tried to shrug it off as covering them up - which was not a lie. People always assumed she used makeup though.)

Amy startled out of her epiphany concerning Stane as the door to the guest room was thrown open man just marched in, with absolutely no care for her privacy, dragging her out of the luxurious bed. The appalled ravenette tried to escape from his bruising grip, but without exposing her magic it was useless.

* * *

Stane maneuvered her straight into the living room or whatever it was supposed to be - the room with the fire place in any case. Tony and Pepper both stood or sat there respectively, staring wide-eyed at the sight in front of them.

Amy became painfully aware how scar-riddled her body must look to them. Especially from her little stint in Malfoy Manor's dungeons...

"Does a true Lady look like she's been in a war?" Stane asked, glaring hard at Amy. (Who self-consciously had crossed her arms in front of her chest.) Currently the witch was glaring right back at this audacious man.

"I thought not," he sneered derisively in her direction when she remained silent.

That did it.

Tony had not mended her heart painfully slowly, had not opened up to her, only for Stane to destroy the budding relationship between them.

For a moment the witch forgot her modesty, letting her temper control her actions.

Never a good move.

"So what if I have many scars? Who gave you the right to judge me? _What is your problem, Mr. Stane?_"

Her emerald eyes more than ever resembled the hard stones, narrowed tightly at the bald man. Amy stemmed her hands in her hips, full lips pressed in a thin line.

Unconsciously her magic spiked due to her anger, but not enough to be noticeable.

Yet.

"My problem is that you are a liar!" Stane accused her openly.

It was entirely the wrong thing to say.

Or the right - to get a rise out of her.

"I am _not_! True, I might omit certain things, but never because I want to make myself look better! Why would I need to appear better than I am when it was _Tony_ who chased after _me_ - _not the other way around!_ Why would I bare my whole life story to a stranger I only met a few days ago at a public event? I have opened up to Tony because I trust him. Because he gave me _reason_ to trust him. However, your actions today force me to mistrust you. We have been complete strangers until this evening. Therefore you do not get to judge me, Mr. Stane!"

Amy was sure she must have been quite a sight. The picture of self-righteous defiance, Snape would have sneered sarcastically.

Merlin, Snape would have loved to deduct points from her and sneering if he ever saw her lose her composure like this.

The witch still felt guilty about not being able to share such an important part of her life - magic - but there were a ton of good reasons. The law, for one. Her unwillingness to speak about matters pertaining to the war, two. Three, she doubted Tony would even believe her.

Suddenly, Pepper gasped loudly. She was white as a sheet of paper.

Amy followed her shocked gaze to her now freely exposed scar. Her anger was immediately buried by sorrow, pain, hopelessness.

Tony stared at her wide-eyed. "How did you get that?"

Stane smirked smugly at her for just the fractions of a second before adopting a similar stunned expression as the rest.

Merlin, that man pushed all of her anger buttons.

Amy tried to hide the letters, but the damage was already done. Tony grasped her arm gently, but decisively, exposing the lines edged in her skin for everyone to see.

_Mudblood Whore. _

The Healer tensed, feeling a flashback begin. She tried to stomp it down. Unbeknownst to her, she was shaking slightly, rapidly paling and sweating. The witch lost her internal fight.

* * *

Hermione had suggested to color her hair and switch to contacts in order to perfect their disguises in the unlikely event anyone should spot them, moving from one place to another. They both had found no satisfactory undetectable charms in the extensive mobile Granger library, so they decided to use Muggle hair colors.

Hermione looked not that different from before but Amy had chosen a crimson red in honor of her dead mother.

It was as alike to Lily Potter's hair as she dared.

No one would suspect her to be the bespectacled, raven-haired Undesirable No. 1 - or the bloody Chosen One.

Therefore the Snatchers never thought twice about her being in Hermione's company.

Just another Muggleborn on the run.

Sadly, Bellatrix had recognized the blasted sword and worked off her frustration on a new living cutting board - Amy. She could still hear Lestrange asking those questions, over and over and _over_ again.

"_Where did you get that sword?_"

All the while Crucio-ing the Potter heiress and carving into her skin.

* * *

"...Amy! Snap out of it!" Tony's voice coaxed her out of that nightmare. His tone remained gentle. The genius had put a blanket around her shoulders, rubbing them for extra-warmth.

When had he become so considerate?

The witch hated herself for showing this weakness in front of Stane who she officially classed as an opponent (enemy was too strong a word in her humble opinion) for the time being.

"What happened to you?" Pepper whispered.

"A lot, obviously," Tony retorted absentmindedly.

Amy debated with herself for a moment. Should she answer? Tony deserved to know more about her life before. Maybe discovering magic would be easier if she eased him into some of the more gruesome parts of her past first?

No, fate was never that kind.

"… I was kidnapped."

"Any details you might wanna add?" Stane questioned smugly.

The Healer decided she didn't just strongly dislike him - she began to truly hate him.

The ravenette pressed her lips together to keep from verbally attacking him further. No doubt he would turn everything she said in his presence against herself. It wouldn't do for her to lose her control and blurt out something incriminating. Instead, she focused on Tony.

He deserved to know.

"When I was seventeen, Hermione, Ron - who you've both met - and I were abducted by domestic terrorists. One of the more outspoken kidnappers was actually my cousin three times removed or whatever but all of the inbreeding turned her...quite mad. Trust me, the world is a better place without her in it. The woman who carved that in my skin also killed my godfather, although you probably didn't find that in the internet. Her name was Bellatrix Lestrange. She tortured Nev's parents into insanity too which landed her in a high-security prison for over a decade until she broke out with the help of the terrorist group's leader. His name was Tom Riddle, junior. They're not someone I fondly remember over a cup I tea," Amy elaborated in a flat voice.

She hated to expose herself like this.

Tony gently hugged her. "Why didn't you say something?"

"It's not something I like to think about much less a topic that you bring up in a casual conversation."

Stane snorted. "Why would they kidnap you? You were just a girl!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

Amy narrowed her eyes at him. "That's complicated, classified and personal."

Tony sent the man a meaningful look before he turned back to his girlfriend. Stane left in a huff. Amy cast a wandless privacy charm Hermione had taught her for work.

"Can you answer the question?" Pepper asked reluctantly. Of course the redhead would be worried for Tony's safety.

Amy sighed, rubbing her left hand absentmindedly. (Umbridge's detention lines had faded over time but would never go away.)

"That is a very long story. You probably won't believe me."

"Give us a try," Tony argued. He looked just like that day in the vegetarian restaurant when she broke down in his arms.

The witch began to pace similar to a caged lioness, hugging herself to keep the flashbacks at bay.

"My parents were part of a top secret group which fought against those terrorists; the same group my grandparents joined during World War Two. Some of the best known terrorists were... rich or nobles, I should add. And they shared similar views as the Nazis did. One, quite large, part of the population had 'dirty blood' and should be eradicated, ruled by them. Pretty much everyone that didn't belong in their social cycle. Therefore my mother was targeted. Initially, I should say. Anyway, my parents became quite well-known in the underground fight over a short period of time. They even escaped their leader three times with their lives intact, just as Alice and Frank Longbottom did. It was very rare and almost unheard of. Those who knew of the bastard refused to say his self-appointed nickname, out of fear they would be next on his hit-list."

Amy took a deep breath, staring at the floor. She hated being forced into this situation.

"'Mudblood' is slang used by those terrorists. They called themselves 'Death Eaters.' Anyway, Tom Riddle was also quite superstitious. When someone predicted that a child born in July to parents who had defied him three times would become his downfall, he wanted to eliminate the perceived threat as soon as possible."

Pepper gasped, one hand covering her mouth in shock. She was still deathly pale.

Tony however had a strange expression on his face. Not quite believing but also not quite opposing Amy's report. In his eyes swirled a mixture of thoughtfulness, dawning understanding, anger, repulsion and disbelief.

Truthfully, her boyfriend looked very contemplative.

"My parents were warned by someone they trusted implicitly and decided to go into hiding after my birth. One of Riddle's followers had been in love with my mother and turned coats because he directly threatened her life. Either way, they changed residences a lot for a while, never knowing who of their comrades and friends was still alive. Or if Tom waited around the corner. Only one person truly knew where to find our hide-out and betrayed the family to Riddle but later framed my godfather for his crimes. His name was Peter Pettigrew, a childhood friend of my father's. So on Halloween 1981, my parents died."

Pepper began to cry quietly. She was shocked to her core. Amy distanced herself from her story so she would be able to keep her own tears at bay.

"First Riddle personally killed my dad who tried to buy us time to flee. Then the bastard offered my mother a deal. Her life in exchange for mine. She declined, sacrificing herself for me."

Amy felt tears prickling more persistently behind her eyes, quickly wiping them away when they managed to escape. In her mind, she could still hear her mother's screams.

_Damn those fucking Dementors!_

"I received the lightning bolt scar on my face that night. Half of our house blew up."

Pepper cried harder now. She sniffled in a paper tissue, eyes already puffy and red. Tony pulled Amy in his arms, similarly to her last meltdown.

"You actually remember that?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes, that's the only memory I have of my parents. The following night I was placed with the Dursleys. But in certain circles I was a celebrity. Not only because I had survived with just a tiny scar but Riddle fled the country for over a decade and people hoped he had died too. That monster took it as a personal insult on my part that I 'just wouldn't die'."

Again, Amy bit down on her bottom lip. Tony tightened his hold on her as the last bitter words escaped her mouth.

Merlin, she was pretty much telling them her life story. And she barely _knew_ Pepper! What was wrong with her?

"Almost annually he attempted to kill me, from eleven onwards. Never succeeding, which only added to my perceived offense. His highest-ranked followers all were out to capture me when I continued to survive. Additionally to revenge, they wanted to secure their master's praise. Whoever ultimately brought me before him would be regarded as his new second-in-command for certain."

Tony closed his eyes. Amy knew he wished she would to stop, but she needed to get this out - now. There would never come another time when the witch would bare herself to him like this. Not on her own volition, at least.

"He caught me once - before Bellatrix got her hands on Mia, Ron and me. At the end of an international tournament between our and two partner schools from the continent. I was fourteen and it left me with this scar."

She pointed at the one on her arm from the resurrection ritual.

"One of the upperclassmen got kidnapped with me and didn't... He got killed before we could do anything."

Silent tears were steadily streaming down Amy's face. Cedric's death was completely useless to achieving Riddle's ultimate goal that night.

"We were supposed to be completing the last task of the tournament, a maze, you know. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course no one believed me when I said Riddle was back in the country. The responsible people rather played pretend than face the facts."

Tony kissed her hair gently. Amy was certain he put the money and the tournament together. Probably he had already guessed the reason for her donation to the twins' store as well. Pepper handed her a box of Kleenex.

"A handful of classmates actually stood by me, but the majority thought I was a liar. Anyway, the leader of the opposition got killed when I was sixteen. He had pretty good connections to high places, trying to ensure the Dursleys' and my safety during the summers. After his murder, I couldn't stay there anymore. We never knew who we could trust outside of a few people. Hermione, Ron, his family and a handful others. That was it.

"Sadly, while we were on the run from mad terrorists, we also had to find a way to defeat him once and for all since the government didn't do anything to help. Plus, I would have certainly died on May 2nd, 1998 if it wasn't for some of the things we picked up during that year. We didn't have any other choice but to stay in Britain, because we were wanted for questioning by a subdivision of the secret service. Additionally, we felt responsible for our friends. The school had been infiltrated by this point, to add even more weight on our shoulders.

"And that's mainly why we were kidnapped and subsequently brought to Malfoy Manor. Lady Malfoy was Bellatrix's sister and Sirius' cousin. They are actually Andromeda's youngest sisters. Imagine a deranged, unhygienic version of Andy, to get an idea of what Bellatrix Lestrange looked like...

"That woman had a talent for torture. The Longbottoms don't look like they were ever tortured, I've met them. She can draw it out, make you scream, force you to tell all of your dirty little secrets if she so pleases. And she was very upset that night..."

Amy was saved from another flashback by Tony's warm embrace. He tried to reassure her everything was fine but the witch knew he put most of the pieces together by now.

"So, in answer to Mr. Stane's first question: I look like I've been in a war, because I kind of have been, involuntarily. There are still people out there who hold his ideals high. Powerful people who would love to see me dead. That's why you had to hack classified files in order to find my phone number."

For a while there was only the low splattering of the waterfall in the background.

"Ron doesn't work just for the police, does he?" Tony asked after a moment.

The Healer smiled slightly. "It's a special subdivision. Technically they classify as cops but also qualify for special ops."

"Like the Men in Black?" Tony playfully asked.

Amy chuckled, imagining Moody fighting against aliens. "Not really but it kind of fits. Technically you are not even supposed to suspect him to be anything else but a paper-pusher."

"I'm surprised you are not his partner with a history like this," Pepper commented after catching herself.

This evoked a sigh from the raven-haired witch.

"You have no idea how many people were upset about me turning that job down. I fought for my life ever since turning eleven. It wasn't a job, or a game. To me it was real; my life. I'm done fighting," Amy explained tiredly. She smiled kindly at the redhead from within Tony's arms. "There is something much more rewarding in saving a life than taking it, even though I've never been able to do that in cold blood. Not even Riddle's."

* * *

That night Amy allowed Tony to comfort her the best way he could. (After he _persuaded_ her to call in sick for the next day.)

Surprisingly, or not, Tony's warmth helped to keep nasty nightmares at bay.

Now she just needed to find a convincing excuse for the many hickeys in case Nina would interrogate her...


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Neither Iron Man nor Harry Potter are mine.

* * *

**Warning:** innuendos, language, violence, cavity-inducing fluff

* * *

Thank you so much for all of those great reviews! I can't believe how many people have followed/favorited this story so far! It's awesome!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

* * *

Tony absentmindedly adjusted the accelerator of his newest motorcycle, ensuring the reduced carbon-dioxide-emission he had aimed for. His practiced hands worked on their own, handling the parts of the bike with delicate care; just as delicately as Amy's curves last night.

Her confession had answered many of his questions, clearing things up for Tony. Amy's story fit what he had deduced from her behavior, her mysterious background and the scars on her absolutely gorgeous body.

She had come undone in more than one way in his arms last night.

Tony tried to adjust his view of his girlfriend once more.

She was so much stronger than he had given her credit for. Although now he could see her insecurity and uncertainty clearer than before Amy told him about her horrendous childhood.

"Sir, Miss Potter has woken. She is currently in the kitchen, preparing food," JARVIS announced dutifully.

"Thanks," Tony said absentmindedly.

He finished his self-assigned task before leaving the lab for the kitchen.

* * *

A delicious scent wafted through the house. To the genius' surprise he heard soft singing from the room.

Amy obviously was in a good mood if she sang.

Cautiously the inventor opened the door, poking his head in the kitchen.

His girlfriend wore one of his Black Sabbath shirts and a pair of shorts. It was too big for her small frame, but there was something strangely gratifying about her stealing his clothes.

His doc danced around the kitchen, setting the table with pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs.

Amy blushed in embarrassment when she caught Tony's gaze. Smiling, because it was so fucking _adorable_, the genius pulled her in for a good morning-kiss.

His favorite minx reciprocated easily.

The kiss ended with both of them panting heavily. Somehow he had hoisted Amy up, placing her on a free kitchen counter during their snog. His doc flashed him a warm smile, emerald eyes shining brightly up at him through her thick, long lashes.

Tony gently tucked an errant strand of hair back behind her ear, smirking.

"Good morning?" Amy asked, after slowing her breathing down enough for coherent speech.

He chuckled. "Yes. You too, Gorgeous."

His minx laughed musically. Tony noticed with smug satisfaction the added husky note.

She could turn him on with just one glance from those blazing emeralds or that breathy, belly-deep laugh that went straight to his heart. (And someplace slightly more south.)

God, he really loved her.

Amy's cheeks had blushed faintly, adding a lovely note to her pale cheeks.

"So, how is the flu?" Tony asked teasingly, trying not to think with anything else but his brain.

She laughed again, sending pleasant shivers down his spine. "The flu?"

"Yes. Doctor Hamilton signed the slip for five days of sick leave," he explained with a proud grin.

It had taken him all of twenty minutes to plant the false document, including stealing the man's signature. Tony was quite proud of his almost authentic work - although no one would notice its fakeness.

Amy shook her head at his antics, smiling against her will. "Did he now?"

Tony kissed her again, just as Pepper entered the kitchen.

The redhead carried a stack of papers - no doubt things he had to sign off on - but stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted them. Amy blushed a becoming shade of crimson in embarrassment at getting caught in this compromising position, trying to hide her burning head in his chest.

Tony just chuckled, bemused about her actions. He knew from personal experience that her shyness left completely when she stopped contemplating about what other people might think. (Or if her brain happened to be occupied with other matters...)

The redhead composed herself, professionally wishing them a good morning. Then she placed the stack of papers on a free counter. "You have to go through them as soon as possible. Don't forget!"

"Yes, mother," Tony kidded.

Pepper glared hard at him.

The genius lifted his hands in the typical surrendering pose.

"This smells delicious," his PA commented, ignoring the embarrassing situation the trio currently found themselves in.

Amy blushed an even darker shade of red. Tony sighed. She had yet to accept a compliment from anyone without this reaction.

"Thank you. Would you like to have breakfast with us?" his lovely Brit asked politely.

The genius pouted at his enchanting girlfriend. "But I wanted to eat you for breakfast," he huskily whispered in her ear. Amy lightly smacked his biceps.

"There's time for that later. Remember, my sudden bout of '_flu'_?"

Pepper raised an eyebrow questioningly at them.

His girlfriend explained: "Apparently I contracted a very bad case of the flu from Tony. At least my employers seem to think so."

_Oh, no. That's the patented Pepper Glare of __**DOOM**__. _

"You hacked into the hospital data base to spend more time with your girlfriend?" his PA hissed in angry disbelief.

Ouch.

The billionaire helped Amy down from the counter.

"She deserves a real vacation," he argued indignantly. "Besides, after last night, I think she earned herself a few days off."

Tony had told Pepper of his worries from that day in May. Therefore she should understand what he referred to. What if Amy relapsed due to everything they had trudged up with their questions?

His girlfriend kissed his cheek lightly. "Thanks, Tony. That's very considerate of you."

* * *

The trio sat down, sampling Amy's delicious food. She blushed heavily again when praised for it by Pepper.

"It's nothing special," his modest doc waved off, embarrassed.

At the end of a very lengthy mock-serious discussion, they decided politely to agree to disagree.

Amy asked Pepper a ton of questions about Tony, her job and personal life. The two women got on well with each other, joking and laughing more freely over the course of the meal.

At least Tony wouldn't have to worry about them fighting too.

The genius enjoyed the easy banter and great food almost as much as spending time with Amy. Her spirits had steadily lifted from May onwards.

He suspected she finally began to heal.

* * *

They went swimming in the mansion's private pool, JARVIS ordered take-out for them which the couple ate on the patio with ocean view and some romantic candles that Amy had dug out from somewhere with his AI's help.

The summer sun kept them warm, snuggling helped too though.

Tony loved to watch Amy's face whenever she was near him. Something had relaxed the near-constant tension she was so used to, changing something minutely in her features. He recognized it from the night they met - when his doc and Luna Longbottom greeted each other.

The genius was insanely proud to be counted as a confidante.

* * *

Over the next few days they made love, talked, watched a variety of movies, swam some more and just enjoyed the easy companionship developing between them.

It soothed his always agitated mind, calming something deep inside of him.

However, Tony still spent hours alone in his lab while Amy read over a few medical articles that caught her fancy on a borrowed StarkPad. After all, they were not joined at the hip, leaving more than enough space for their own interests.

Teddy called every other day, telling his godmother all about his small adventures in London and how much he missed her - and surprisingly Tony too.

Hermione Weasley also phoned her best friend once, wondering if his girlfriend really happened to be sick or not. (Apparently the media had gotten wind of Amy's prolonged stay at his house.)

Their relationship moved incredibly fast, although it felt..._right_ - to Tony, at least.

The genius loved to fall asleep next to Amy, knowing he helped put that beautiful smile on her face when she dreamed something pleasant. It helped to hear her mumble incoherently about having a good time, and caring for him.

Amy never complained if he disappeared sometime during the night to tinker on his projects or needed to talk business with Pepper.

* * *

So when the five days were up, somehow it felt _wrong_ to just let Amy go back to New York. Which led to Tony accompanying his lovely girlfriend back to the city, planning on returning after a business meeting (which he would skip no matter what harsh punishments Pepper plotted in retribution).

Happy drove the exhausted couple to Amy's apartment in Manhattan.

The first sign of trouble should have been the missing paparazzi. Not one of the sneaky reporters could be spotted in close vicinity to the building.

Warning number two would have been the way Amy stiffened but by then it was too late.

Because seconds later four cloaked people literally popped into existence from _thin air_. Their old-fashioned, black cloaks and white skull-masks effectively hid them all from view.

Tony didn't even know if they were dealing with different genders. Happy drew back, hand reaching for the gun concealed in his belt.

And then all hell broke loose.

Amy pulled something out of her hair that greatly resembled a polished stick. Tony was absolutely clueless as to why. She pushed him protectively behind herself.

One glance at her face silenced all of his protests. Her soft, warm features hardened in front of his wide eyes. The sparkling emeralds turned to stones, not giving anything away but well-controlled fury.

Tony shivered - in fear this time, not in pleasure.

"Avoid the lights at all costs," his doc ordered Happy who didn't look back.

But was she still his doc?

Suddenly there were indistinguishable _screams_ and loud _noise_ and multi-colored beams of _light_ and it all happened at once, overwhelming his hyper-sensitive senses.

Amy pulled him to the floor when a sickly green light headed their way, just in time. She sent a red light straight back at the attacker. It seemed to generate from the weird stick his girlfriend had drawn out of her hair before all this happened.

As quickly as it had started, the ambush ended.

The four attackers decorated the sidewalk, knocked out. Happy had a few bleeding gashes. Amy's dress was torn in a few places, ruining it.

Several cracks echoed through the ghostly street. More people - this time dressed in red robes - appeared.

_Out of thin air. _

His girlfriend relaxed slightly, signaling to him that those were good guys.

Tony was beginning to hyperventilate as his mind tried to analyze everything that just happened in what seemed like seconds. His heartbeat spiked, adrenaline still flooding through his veins. He would be going into shock soon unless someone offered a good explanation.

"Ma'am? What happened here?" a bulky grey-haired man with an impressive mustache asked in a tone that brooked no argument.

"We were ambushed as soon as we stepped out of the car. I felt the anti-apparation wards activate the moment my feet touched the sidewalk. They set up a perimeter and I suspect a ward to alert them of our presence too. No words were exchanged. Do you wish me to provide a copy of my memory?"

"That would be appreciated," the stranger agreed.

Suddenly Amy handed over a vial of a silvery substance that had also come out of _thin air_.

Tony rubbed his eyes, thinking that maybe he should let that psychiatrist Pepper organized for him look him over...

"Do you wish to press charges?" Mustache asked in a severe, professional tone.

"Yes. Get in contact with Ronald Weasley, he's the Head Auror in the British Ministry of Magic. Tell him Amy wants him to hand over some files to you. He can help to identify them too."

"Death Eaters in New York?" another, younger, man snorted. "_Preposterous_!"

Amy just glared at him. "No. They most likely found out I lived here from the muggle news. Those two are non-magical, by the way. I will brief them later."

"Why not just Obliviate them?" Pompous Ass demanded.

If possible, the emerald-eyed woman roasted him alive with her glare.

Tony felt quite relieved to hear that she would give them an explanation for all of... this. Happy seemed just as curious as his boss.

"Because for one I am surprised he didn't find out on his own. Two, Tony will forever try to figure out what happened. But most importantly - that is my boyfriend you are talking about!"

A mild breeze blew her pony out of face, showing off the lightning-bolt scar on her forehead.

The newbies (except Mustache) gasped. Immediately the attitudes of the officers - that's what Tony thought they were in any case - changed. New-found respect, admiration and pure hero worship crossed all of their faces.

_What the hell?_

"_Amaryllis Potter!_ It's such an honor!" one particularly eager officer gushed.

"We will do our utmost to clear this up as soon as possible, Miss Potter," Mustache promised seriously. Although even he seemed impressed by Amy.

What was going on? Did they know something they didn't? Was there even more to the story the doc had revealed to them?

_Maybe Obadiah had been right, after all..._

"If you have questions, Auror, owls usually find me. My Floo access is blocked and too heavily warded, I'm afraid," Amy said, carefully concealing all of her emotions.

_Aurors? Owls? Floo? Wards?_ What in the roaring blazes of hell did she mean by that? Was that some sort of code?

Tony wasn't sure what he was supposed to think anymore. His girlfriend had just transformed into a fury in front of his incredulous eyes, obviously recognizing the crazy get-up as 'Death Eater'-garb and hit one of those weirdo-guys with a harsh kick in the balls.

The strange red-robed officers vanished into thin air, emitting another series of loud cracks reminiscent of a backfiring car, and taking the still unconscious prisoners with them.

Amy steered both Happy and him upstairs in her apartment. After the ravenette poured each of them a generous amount of Firewhiskey, Tony finally composed himself enough to ask harshly: "What in the fucking blazes of _hell_ was _that_?"


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own anything but a fluffy pink pig-plushie.

* * *

The whole truth comes out. Please don't hate me!

Love, W

PS: I loved all of your reviews! Thanks for 300+!

* * *

**Chapter 11: **

* * *

Amy steered both Happy and Tony upstairs in her apartment.

After the ravenette poured each of them a generous amount of Firewhiskey, her boyfriend finally composed himself enough to ask harshly: "What in the fucking blazes of _hell_ was _that_?"

The witch nervously ran a hand through her messy hair, all traces of her prior anger gone now. Instead, she felt incredibly unnerved by his brisk tone.

"Remember what I said about the group of terrorists? Well, those are a few that got away, because they weren't marked during the wars..." Amy rambled, her nerves getting the better of her.

This was not how she had wanted to talk to him about this.

Not at all.

Nonetheless, what happened happened and now she had to deal with it. She could have told them everything six days ago. But who would want to listen to her whining on for hours how her childhood had been destroyed by an evil wizard who killed her equally magical parents to get at her?

"What kind of technology were you just using? Why did you pull as away from those lights? Is that some kind of Star Wars-weapon? But why did they change colors?" Tony asked, in one breath.

_Oh, Merlin! _

Amy tried to compose herself and calm her boyfriend (who might not be her boyfriend much longer) down, but didn't succeed in either field.

Happy just stood guard, eying her warily.

"Sit down. This might take a while. And I swear I'm only telling the truth. The whole truth," the witch finally managed in a somewhat steady voice. "All I ask is that you let me finish."

She poured herself another Firewhiskey, inwardly still panicking.

"Remember what I told you and Pepper about my childhood? Well, that's only one part of it," Amy began, sipping on her drink in order to avoid their penetrating, incredulous gazes. "There is more to that story. A lot more. But until today I was not allowed to talk about that part. It's so classified only the highest government officials know about this. In Britain just the Prime Minister and the Queen are being briefed about... _us_."

The witch tried to impress the importance of the secret on them. If this conversation went south - and it strongly looked like it - then the rest of her world would be safe.

Even if her heart broke.

Happy nodded, accepting her implied warning.

Tony's face had closed off, becoming unreadable to her. Amy winced slightly when she saw his betrayed look.

"The law forbidding everyone from spilling the beans is called the Statue of Secrecy. When broken, the suspect is either thrown into the worst possible prison on this planet or... Nothing pleasant. Depending on the crime, a secret court will punish you. If you tell anyone about what I'm revealing to you, then chances are that someone will Obliviate you against your will."

Tony spoke up again: "Some jerk mentioned that earlier. What does it mean?"

Amy closed her eyes tightly, breathing deeply to control her emotions. "It means that they will wipe your memory. Literally. You can't remember the incident, what you saw, who you saw and why or how. Anything pertaining to the... secret will be _deleted_ forever."

For a moment only a heavy, horrified silence hang between them. It appeared as if even her grandfather clock stopped ticking to underline the severity of her words.

_Merlin, I'm turning into a melodramatic bitch._

"What? How is that possible? No one can just '_delete_' anything from a brain!" her boyfriend protested disbelievingly.

"They can, trust me," the witch assured him flatly. "I've seen it. The consequences are not pretty either. Especially if used often in a short amount of time... I'm surprised you haven't caught on, actually, but I suppose Mione's digitalization crusade is responsible for that. Three years ago, you would not have found anything on my father's family anywhere. You won't find any of my bank accounts online either, because I am client to an ancient, traditional bank in Britain that doesn't even use technology for business. They manage my inheritance for me, as they have done for all Potters before me."

Her audience listened attentively. She felt that they were not believing her but not questioning her sanity either.

_So far. _

"Those lights you saw earlier are not Star Wars-weaponry - or any kind of technology. I pulled you out of the way of the green one because you would have died instantly had it hit you. There is no way to revive someone or patch him up again after being hit with that 'light'. It leaves no traces on your body. You just appear to have died of fear. There is no known shield, no defense except dodging. The red light knocks you out until you are either revived or wake up on your own. Some of those other lights do different things, depending where you get hit by them." Happy nodded. "One of them kind of cut me up, while the other made me dizzy for a moment."

Amy smiled slightly. It was a little bit like in the DA. Trying to teach someone something new.

Reassured, at least slightly, she continued.

"Exactly. The color depends on the..._outcome_ the wielder wants to achieve. For example the dark red light I used is supposed to disarm someone," the witch explained.

She pointed her wand at Happy, repeating 'Expelliarmus' and catching his lukewarm gun with one hand.

Tony's eyes had widened. He looked like he was on the brink of a meltdown. Or hyperventilating.

However, Amy knew he wanted an explanation.

_Now_.

So she tried to get back on track.

"How did you do that?" her maybe-soon-ex-boyfriend asked breathlessly.

The witch suppressed a pained grimace. He didn't appear to take this as well as she had hoped. And that was the part she could somewhat explain in a way he would understand...

"Magic. It's real. Some people are born with the ability to use it. I know it sounds..."

"Insane? Batshit-crazy?" Tony suggested acerbically.

Happy eyed her more warily but remained silent.

Amy ignored the sting his words evoked. "Whatever suits you. Either way, there is a whole society of people who can use magic. Some are born to non-magical parents, like Hermione, some to a couple that consists of a pureblood and a Muggleborn, which means they are called 'halfbloods' - like me and then there are people like Ron who are born to purely magical families."

Amy noticed how much they began to doubt her words. Although Happy would hold his tongue, Tony's expression closed off more and more.

"My father was a pureblood as they are called, born to a purely magical family. My mother was a Muggleborn - the first and only in her family to gain magic. She met my dad at Hogwarts, a boarding school for witches and wizards. During their school years, a Dark wizard who called himself Voldemort rose to power. He wanted to establish a society ruled by Purebloods. In his ideology, Muggles or nonmagical people were inferior to everyone with magic and therefore supposed to be enslaved by Magicals; used for sport and labour. A lot of old magical families in Britain supported those ideals, especially in the beginning. They joined his ranks as Death Eaters, identified easily due to the mark burned in their left arm. It depicts a skull and a snake. That dress-up you saw earlier is the standard uniform for newbies. Most of them were either pureblood supremacists or cowards who tried to hide behind the biggest, meanest bully our world has to offer."

Amy allowed herself a grim smile. In her mind, she saw Wormtail's pitiful performance at the end of Third Year.

"The Weasleys or Potters were branded as 'blood-traitors' because they opposed pureblood supremacy, siding with the so-called Light side. On the other hand, my godfather's family is known for their Dark alliances. Sirius ran away from home when he was sixteen and became my father's brother in all but blood when my grandparents took him in."

"Dorea and Charlus Potter?" Tony interrupted with a blank expression.

_How did he...? Probably some secret files. _

"Yes." "They knew Captain America and my father, helping them fight against HYDRA," the billionaire explained.

Amy hoped this meant he actually believed her. That this conversation would _not_ end in tears.

"Yes. Remember how I told you about Dad's and Sirius' prankster-reputation? Their quartet was called Marauders, each member nicknamed after their animal forms. It's a rare ability you can achieve through training, to change into your inner animal at will. An Animagus. My father was a stag, named Prongs. Sirius turned into a dog - Padfoot. Teddy's dad was a werewolf, Moony, while Pettigrew could turn into a rat named Wormtail. Quite fitting, considering who betrayed them..."

Amy took another deep breath. She would need her energy to yell at some people - later.

"Either way, my grandparents were murdered in Dad's seventh year - the last one of magical schooling in Britain - and my parents finally got together. Because everyone expected to die soon, they got married straight out of school. They also joined a secret organization - the Order of the Phoenix - which is the underground opposition I meant six days ago. Along with Nev's parents, their closest friends and other people who had fought our version of Hitler during World War Two."

The bottle refilled their empty glasses on its own (not that either of the two men noticed) while Amy summoned her photo album from her drawer. Tony emptied his glass in one go.

Taking the picture of the Originals out of the pages, she slid it over for them to look at.

"This is the Order during the First War. My parents, Nev's parents, Sirius, Remus..." She swallowed her tears, concentrating back on her confusing tale. "The Light side was losing members quickly. Soon everyone suspected a spy in their midst who gave away information to the other side. No one knew who to trust anymore. The headmaster of Hogwarts - Albus Dumbledore - led the Order, by the way."

_On to the harder parts._

"One day in December 1979 he went to a job interview for the vacant Divination post. He didn't actually want to go but thought it impolite to let a descendent of a famous Seer down without giving her a chance. Her name is Sibyl Trelawney. Right before he left, she prophesied: 'The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord nears... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark the One as his equal, but the One will have a power the Dark Lord knows not... And one must die at the hand of the other, because none can live while the other survives... The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the Seventh Month dies...'" Amy recited from memory.

For a moment there was only silence, as neither of the trio dared to say something.

However, the witch soldiered on: "At the end of July 1980, two children were born to parents who had faced Voldemort three times and lived. They were Order members. Neville was born on July 30, while I was born the next day, close to midnight. Neville's parents were friends with mine - both purebloods. What few know is that Tom Riddle junior aka Voldemort was a halfblood-orphan himself. A spy had heard the first four lines of that prophecy which Tom unfortunately believed in. It was self-fulfilling, you know?"

A bitter note edged those words.

"So he thought of me - the halfblood Potter girl - as the bigger threat. At least we thought so. Both the Longbottoms and my parents went into hiding, using a spell that hides a secret in the very soul of a single person. That spell is called the _Fidelius_. For over a year, Sirius was their Secret Keeper but the Death Eaters found out, hunting him even more than ever before. So he proposed a change. He would still act as the Secret Keeper in public, but someone else would actually fill the role. That way Sirius wouldn't be able to betray their location even if he was captured and tortured."

Amy smiled grimly, without the usual warmth.

"You have to understand that every eleven-year-old gains a weapon upon entry to the Wizarding World. We can use magic for good - like Healing - or for bad," here the ravenette cancelled the charm concealing her long scar courtesy of Bellatrix.

"That sickly green light from earlier is one of the Unforgivable Curses - the _Avada Kedavra_. Instant death. There are two others - _Imperio_ which controls the victim's mind as well as actions and _Crucio_. It activates all of your pain receptors at once. It feels like being stabbed everywhere at the same time with hot knives. Fifteen minutes under that Curse and you're a vegetable. That's what happened to Nev's parents, by Bellatrix Lestrange's hand."

"How do you know how it feels?" Happy interrupted.

Amy grimaced. "It was war and due to that stupid prophecy I was a prime target by the opposition."

She didn't need to say much more than that.

"Anyway, back to the story. My parents agreed to change Secret Keepers. They had fled to the Potter summer retreat in Godric's Hollow. Since both Remus and Sirius mistrusted each other by then, my parents chose the rat. Unfortunately, the weak worm ran to his master with their address first chance he got. So on Halloween, Voldemort killed my parents in order to eliminate me. But my mother's sacrifice activated some ancient blood ritual, protecting me from the Killing Curse which rebounded upon Voldemort himself."

Amy skillfully ignored the screams of her mother or Tom's shrill laugh resounding in her mind.

"It turned him into something like the Nazgul if you want a mental picture of a wraith. Bodiless. However, as we later found out, Tom split his soul in seven parts, ensuring his 'immortality.' Since my mother sacrificed herself for me, I had to stay with the Dursleys. Plus all of my potential guardians were either in our hospital due to prolonged torture or imprisoned."

"What about Remus?" Tony questioned.

"He was a werewolf, as I mentioned earlier. They have to register at the Ministry so those bigoted idiots knew of his 'condition'. Many people call them 'half-breeds', believing that all werewolves are brainless beasts best avoided. Some digress into madness, yes, but most try to live life as normally as they can. However due to the prejudices, Remus would not have been allowed anywhere near me - the bloody Girl-Who-Lived."

Amy took a deep sip from her glass. She would never get through this sober.

"Either way, for ten years I grew up thinking there was no such thing as magic. My relatives told me my parents died due to drunk driving which is where I supposedly got the lightning-bolt scar. So when about a week before my eleventh birthday strange letters began to arrive, the _perfectly normal_ lives of my relatives fell apart. Vernon turned paranoid, chasing us out of the house to a rickety hut on a rock in the sea..."

Amy recalled her first conscious visit to Diagon Alley, First through Third Year and the summer of Fourth before she tensed again. The other two immediately noticed her change of demeanor.

"Fourth Year was...bad. The international school tournament I mentioned last week actually was an ancient competition which had been discarded due to a very high death toll. The Triwizard Tournament... Well, someone put my name in as the fourth combatant. Everyone else was three years older and of age in the Wizarding World while I just turned fourteen. Nearly everyone turned on me again, thinking I was an attention-craving arrogant brat. Even Ron."

She allowed herself another grim smile. That year had been one of the worst. And best, in some aspects.

"Well, the first task was getting past a dragon to steal a golden egg..."

"Dragons?" Tony repeated incredulously.

Amy nodded. "Yes. Fully-grown, fire-spitting dragons bigger than a small house. Everyone had to pull out a miniature version of the real deal we had to fight in an arena. I got the Hungarian Horntail, so called because they don't just spit fire or have sharp teeth but, _joy_, a horned tail about the size of my head that could off you just as well."

She showed them a picture of her entering the arena where her dragon waited. Colin had taken it for her. Amy thought she had been a midget at fourteen. (Not that that had changed much.) Unsurprisingly everyone had changed their minds about her entry after that task.

"A few weeks after that our school held a Yule Ball. Fred asked me as his date. Unfortunately we had to open the stupid event since I was a '_champion_'," she sneered the last word mockingly. "It was quite funny to see their faces as most boys realized that Hermione and I actually were born as girls..."

The witch told them about the second task, using as few words as possible, before diving into the third one. Each anecdote was accompanied by pictures.

Amy's mind was still running panicky in circles.

"Cedric Diggory and I touched the trophy at the same time, because of my arguments. We both had helped each other out right before the cup and thought it was nice to tie. However, the stupid trophy was enchanted. It took us to a graveyard in a small town called Little Hangleton. Wormtail _Avada_-ed Cedric before we even knew where we were. Then I was bound to a gravestone, as the honoree guest for Voldemort's resurrection. Such an _honor_..."

Again, sarcastic bitterness edged her voice.

"The rat cut off his arm and sliced mine for my blood. It had to be my blood because now my mother's sacrifice cancelled itself out..."

However, Amy soldiered on, talking about her progressing relationship with Fred during Fifth Year, Umbitch the Great Toad, the DA, the trap that led to Sirius' death, her discovering the truth and finally Sixth Year. She explained further what Horcruxes are, Dumbledore's death and finally what would have been their Seventh Year. Then she reached the Final Battle.

Tony had shown no emotions outwardly but the witch could read him quite well by now. He was angry, hurt, mistrustful, feeling betrayed and incredulous. "What is actually true of that story you told me?"

"All of it. I just omitted magic," Amy replied honestly. "Fred died in the first wave, protecting us from Acromantulas and Death Eaters. Remus and Tonks fell to Rockwood's wand. Snape died in the Shrieking Shack - killed by Nagini's poison. He gave me a few of his memories before... Voldemort gave me an ultimatum. I had an hour to seek him out or everyone would die."

Both men stared at her incredulously. They obviously tried to imagine a seventeen-year-old version of her fighting in a full-blown battle.

"We thought up to that point all of the Horcruxes were gone but Nagini. After watching Snape's memories, I knew there were two left. The snake - and me." Amy took a deep breath. "I was in a very dark place already so I knew what to do without hesitation. Although I wanted to say goodbye before..."

The witch swallowed as her mind easily conjured that night. She had wanted to hug Ron and Hermione one last time, thanking them for everything, but knew they would have stopped her if she had sought them out.

"A Horcrux can only be destroyed by damaging its container beyond repair," Happy recited lowly.

Amy nodded self-deprecatingly. "So I went into the forest where Voldemort and his army waited. He used the _Avada_ on me. I didn't move out of the way."

Tony's eyes had widened slightly. He couldn't mask all of his emotions then. So he still cared for her?

"I was tempted to stay but Dumbledore gave me a choice. Take a train to move on - or go back. I decided to off the bastard in order to protect my remaining friends. The headmaster said something like: 'You have the choice between doing what is easy or what is right.'"

Amy took the last sip of her whiskey.

"Narcissa Malfoy lied about my death and so the triumphant army returned to Hogwarts. I played dead, got in a duel and Riddle killed himself thanks to another rebounding _Avada_. The war was over, people celebrated. There were no boundaries, that night."

The ravenette sighed, wiping away a few stray tears that had escaped through her tough defenses. She could still see the bodies, the destruction wrought on the castle, the injuries and joy on people's faces that it was all finally _over_.

"For me it wasn't over for a long time afterward. People crowded me more than ever, everything I did was front-page-news - it was annoying the hell out of me. So after finishing Hogwarts, I wondered how I could leave that all behind me. Hermione came up with the idea to combine magical and non-magical Healing - so I trained for both. Mia and a friend from the DA completed the three-year-program with me. I was the only one to choose that path - although Hannah specialized on magical prenatal care. When I finished both programs, I wanted to vanish from Magical Britain. Most wizards would never think about working in the non-magical world, lessening my chances of being recognized. It was perfect for me. So I took up an offer from Doctor Hamilton. America fit my requirements - a far away, English-speaking country. So I moved here last summer," Amy finished.

Tony didn't speak. He looked like he was contemplating something. His eyes had hardened slightly but the witch hoped they could salvage this rift.

Happy regarded her seriously. "So magic is real?"

"Yes."

"Who were those people in red earlier?" the bodyguard asked.

"Aurors - our police officers."

"You said your friend is Head Auror of the British Ministry or something?"

"Yes. He requested a guard for me from the American Ministry but they either didn't take their orders seriously or were...eliminated."

"I want to know if Mr. Stark is safe from further attacks," Happy demanded professionally.

"Ever since our first lunch-date he has been shadowed by an Auror-team - or so I've been told. I'm sorry, but that's all I could do," Amy apologized.

"So - you have flying brooms, bubbling potions and the wands?" Tony finally asked.

The ravenette nodded reluctantly, confirming his words. She knew he wanted to get a point across. "Yes."

"What kind of potions?"

"Pretty much everything under the sun."

"Like love potions?"

Amy stiffened, finally realizing where this was going. She knew he watched her every move. However, the witch couldn't help but narrow her eyes in slowly rising anger.

"Yes. But they are illegal or at the very least highly restricted. Nothing stronger than a daydream is for sale," the witch argued right back.

Happy seemed to realize where this line of questioning was going as well. However, he also recognized the suppressed anger as what it was and not some sort of twisted confession.

"Did you put something in my drink or whatever when we were sitting together at that fucking gala?" Tony bit out.

Those words burned, spiking her anger and bringing it to the forefront in order to hide her pain. Amy stood as well, facing him head on.

Before she could say anything, Tony had already continued: "That's why I felt drawn to you! Of course! It's the only explanation!"

"Do you really believe the utter bullshit you are sprouting right now?" Amy countered, holding her own despite the massive height difference.

His self-righteous expression said it all.

"If you think I would ever use that on anyone, you should leave._ Right now._ I've been as truthful as possible whenever we talked. I thought you were not the petty man everyone said you are. But _obviously_ I was _wrong_!"

"I thought I knew you too!" Tony yelled.

His furious anger directed at her hurt almost as much as the rejection. Amy was close to losing her composure. This disaster needed to end quickly.

"_Leave_! _Out_! I did not put you under a spell or used a love potion on you! Fuck this!"

So Tony did. The door slammed shut behind him. Happy hurried after him.

The witch just sank down the wall, hot tears rapidly streaming down her face.

Fate was so fucking unfair.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own anything.

* * *

Thank you so much for reviewing/following/etc!

So... Tony acted like a jerk. Well, it was to be expected. Try to combine oil and water and see what you get. (I actually paid attention for that in chemistry.) He behaved like that because I think there is only so much someone can take in before they flip out. Remember, he was in shock, there had been an attempt on their life, plus Obadiah's words were planted in his head and he discovered the existence of magic all at once. So of course he won't try to be rational or think logically. Besides, he felt strongly about being lied to even though it was 'just' by omission.

Hope you still enjoy the story!

Love, W

PS: I will try to incorporate the least amount of scenes/dialogues etc from the movies as I can. Therefore this chapter may be a bit short.

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

* * *

Tony got drunk.

His goal was to forget her existence, her name and, most of all, her expressive, enchanting eyes.

_Everything_ that happened in the last week.

It didn't matter that he was supposed to attend some stupid award ceremony for something he invented. Who cared about that shit anyway?

Tony certainly didn't.

He wanted to drown the betrayal, the pain and his shock in alcohol tonight.

So he did what he could do best - drinking, acting like an ass and bedding some blonde journalist that probably drank too much as well.

For almost four months he had been pining after a witch like a starved dog.

A real, wand-waving, potion-brewing, broom-riding _witch_.

That would stop right now.

Tony commanded his heart - yes, he had discovered he actually had one. Who would have guessed? - to stop hurting.

This break-up or whatever was not supposed to sting so much.

Especially not at the thought how much _she_ would be disappointed and hurt by his bedding of Miss Brown.

No, Tony _certainly_ didn't care for another dust-collecting award nor for the beautiful Brit he had effectively broken up with a few hours ago.

Not at all.

But his heart seemed to break just a little bit under the thick walls he had erected around himself, wishing _she_ would.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning at four a.m. with the mother of all hangovers, he wondered what he should do now.

Tony realized that he had overreacted and jumped to conclusions; brain overloading with information that only a few hours before the ambush seemed solely fictional. (Admitting it out loud posed more of a problem for him though.)

Amy had not been the one chasing after him - it was the other way around. She had always kept him at a slight distance - until those days in May.

Nevertheless, only three weeks later, she invited him to spend more time with her godson.

A part of her real family.

Tony could understand that. He had built himself a second family with Pepper and Rhodey. They were the only ones who truly knew him. Who could see through most of his masks.

_Just like Amy seemed to_, an annoying voice that sounded a lot like Pepper whispered in his mind.

He groaned loudly.

Amy didn't want to see him anymore. She had been on the brink of tears, hurt deeply by his unfounded accusation. (Was that guilt churning in his stomach?)

_How long does it take for witches to move?_

She probably had already changed the locks, at the very least.

Tony rolled out of his bed, grabbing some clothes to get dressed but careful not to disturb the sleeping stranger in his bed.

It should have been Amy. Not some blonde, know-it-all Miss Brown.

The genius sighed.

It _definitely_ was guilt.

* * *

Pepper briskly entered the code to open the lab, forcing JARVIS to mute the blaring rock music. Then the redhead nagged him about being behind schedule for the Afghanistan flight. Even so, he found himself signing a lot of papers for the company. Tony didn't really want to ask what they were for.

Pepper seemed to notice his unusual absentmindedness even though they traded banter like every other day. So she primly sat on his chair next to the car the philanthropist was working on.

Tony groaned under his breath.

_Not the Spanish Inquisition. _

Not now.

"Spill," Pepper ordered with her trademark glare that allowed no room for arguments.

"I think I messed up big time," Tony admitted reluctantly after a long beat of silence.

Testament to how much Tony had messed up was the unusally disappointed way Happy had looked at him this morning when they ran into each other in the kitchen.

Pepper raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

"When we got to Amy's apartment, a group of people attacked us. She defended us and probably saved my life yesterday." The redhead nodded blankly her understanding of his explanation - so far.

"Go on."

Tony had a feeling she would give him an earful if he told her how he reacted. If not something more.

"It was... Some really crazy people - Death Eaters she called them - came out of (literally) _nowhere_ and just attacked. She defended us until someone called the police or something."

"Or something?" the redhead questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," the billionaire let his head fall back on the wheel of his hot-rod. He - the spontaneous genius with three different contingency plans at _all_ times - had felt completely useless during that ambush. "_Or something._"

"Go on," Pepper demanded.

Tony had a feeling this would really not end well for him. At all. The redhead liked Amy, despite the short time they actually spent together over the last few days. It seemed they had just 'clicked' for no obvious reason.

The genius groaned inwardly. He really hated having to talk about his feelings. At least his mother-hen/PA had not demanded another session with a shrink.

"She tried to explain something completely - incredible to Happy and me. I can't tell you what but it concerns her past." Tony sighed. "Then I kind of freaked out," the brunette grimaced. "It was just...too much. So I threw some really unpleasant words at her head. Amy was livid. She told me to never show my face again if I really believed what I just said and chucked me out."

"What did you say?" Pepper asked calmly.

This was never a good sign. The genius winced, already preparing himself for several different reactions typical for his PA. "Amy nearly slapped me for that already so no need to beat me up. I probably will get beaten up by her five adoptive brothers in the near future anyway. So _please_ have mercy."

"_Tony_..." Pepper warned in a cool voice.

The billionaire winced again. Stalling obviously only made it worse.

"Basically I accused her of being a gold-digger," he admitted, shamefaced, and holding his hands in a placating stance. "I know, I _know_. She isn't. We cleared all of that up with Obadiah last week. Okay? I just said the first thing on my mind."

For a moment, Pepper looked tempted to strangle him but thankfully restrained herself. "So what are you planning to do now that you've finished drowning yourself in alcohol and self-pity?" she asked.

"I don't know." Tony stared unseeingly at the ceiling. It was the truth, even if he didn't particularly liked it.

A thought occurred to him, causing him to suddenly sit up.

Pepper sighed in exasperation. "Oh, you did choose to spend the night with another bimbo. Miss Everheart was strolling around the house as if she owned it when I arrived with her dry-cleaning."

Tony tensed again, wincing. "I know I've hurt Amy. A lot. I do realize that. However, she kept something vital from me even though I thought she was actually finished confessing last week. Something very important."

The redhead sighed - but this time it sounded a bit more fondly exasperated than mad. "Let her cool down first. Fly to Afghanistan. It's important for the military and might actually counter the slander your latest one-night-stand will most likely tread loose. Then I suggest you pull all of those amazing charm resources you possess and apologize to Amy for behaving like an ass. In person. Afterward you two need to talk about this issue you seem to have with her past. Whatever it is," Pepper advised, as always levelheaded.

"Thanks, Pep."

"You're welcome, Tony. Now get ready. You have a plane to catch."

* * *

On their way to the private airstrip, Tony contemplated inwardly if he should call Amy. Just to warn her about the possibly increasing amount of paparazzi who would stalk her now.

When JARVIS had tried to call her earlier, Amy didn't pick up her phone. At all. So maybe she was still angry at him.

_Or maybe she has been called to the hospital?_

The genius hoped for the latter. Rationally he knew chances for that were rather slim (to none) but apparently his capacity to think logically in all situations eclipsed whenever he was around her.

Evidence A: yesterday.

Tony really didn't want to let her go in bad terms, especially after yelling those stupid things at her. (If he was completely honest, he didn't want to let her go, period.)

Amy could have probably explained the whole deal easier but the genius acknowledged that she possibly had been terrified too. Or panicked.

Now the billionaire just wanted this secret missile-presentation in Afghanistan, of all places, over and done with so he could focus back on patching things up with Amy.

Tony remembered Luna Longbottom's words from their short introduction. If Seers truly existed, was the blonde one as well?

_"Stay away from hot places. They're never good for your health."_

Well, either way, Tony would find out soon enough, wouldn't he?

The genius just hoped that when he returned Amy and him could work this out. He really didn't want to make things even worse between them than they already were. Because she had reserved herself a place in his heart.

Tony honest-to-God (or Merlin?) loved her.

Besides, he might not play well with others normally, but as he had recently discovered, it depended on the games you played.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Neither Harry Potter nor Iron Man are mine.

* * *

Sorry for the confusing dates, numbers etc. I'm gonna edit them as soon as possible!  
For clarification: Amy is twenty-eight in this story, Iron Man started in 2006 and not 2008. Alright?  
Okay, here is another nice long chapter. Since I am neither patient nor a fan of all those hysterical women and it would definitely not fit Amy's character (Thank Merlin!) very well, there will not be a teary-eyed scene in this chapter. BUT it is definitely longer for those of you who prefer lengthy reads.

Hope you enjoy!

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

* * *

The following morning Amy woke thanks to her persistent beeper.

'_Emergency; requires your expertise._'

Dr. Hamilton's number was blended in. The man was the only one who knew her full history since he was a Squib born into a prestigious American pureblood family. Amy knew he had been raised to believe women belonged behind a hearth not all kitted-up into a surgery room. Therefore she could tolerate his thinking but it annoyed the hell out of her on some days.

If someone was brought in that required her expertise it usually meant 'magic' - the patient was in very critical condition and would only survive if she interfered with her Healer-training.

Changing into a fresh shirt and jeans with a flick of her wand, Amy grabbed her purse and Disapparated from her apartment.

"Dr. Potter-Black! Dr. Hamilton wants you in OP twelve," Suzanne called out from behind the reception desk. Amy just nodded hastily in response and rushed to the locker rooms, leaving her purse and shrugging into some scrubs.

Jogging upstairs, the ravenette went into the special operation room situated next to Dr. Hamilton's office. Usually it was not used for any surgeries - since no technology had been installed. Only a table and the typical disinfection area had been set up in OP 12.

Her boss waited for her, impatiently, already kitting himself up again.

"Jonathan Rems, nine years old. He was put under the Cruciatus-Curse for at least two minutes, several Dark spells but the Van Nought [the New Yorker version of St. Mungo's] would not admit him so my niece called me. He's in very bad shape," Hamilton briefed her.

Amy nodded, wordlessly signaling her understanding, slipping into her own kit (mostly for show, but also for hygienic reasons). He helped her close it.

The tiny boy had been sedated with a small dose of Morpheas already so he didn't feel any pain. (Thank Merlin for small mercies.) Hamilton also had administered a Blood Replenisher potion and something against the after-effects of the _Crucio_.

Jonathan appeared much smaller than he probably already was on the metallic table.

Amy cast a very in-depth diagnostic spell. A parchment with a list of all injuries the boy had suffered over the short span of his life appeared, hovering in mid-air next to her. Dr. Hamilton looked over her shoulder, blanching severely the further he read.

"He's been abused for approximately three years, physically at least," Amy stated as detached as possible for her. "I'm going to need to heal his cuts, the lashes on his back, reduce as much of the scar-tissue as possible so he won't have too many problems growing up, re-set a few bones and treat those burns. Then I need to fix his teeth, nose and jaw. We should x-ray him for a better look at his skull. Plus we need to put him on a nourishment potions regiment if he's ever supposed to reach his potential full height. Then I need to check for anything else."

Hamilton just nodded, helping her as much as he could without magic. Getting certain potions from a hidden cupboard, shooing anyone off that was not supposed to be there in the first place, trashing empty vials etc.

Amy concentrated on the deep cuts on the poor boy's arms and torso, sealing them carefully with a spell that didn't allow any room for mistakes.

One little slip - the patient would suffer even more.

* * *

They worked for over nine hours straight on Jonathan Rems before the boy was in any condition to survive the day. Hamilton ordered him to be settled in a specialized personal room, notifying the hospital's security to keep an eye out for any visitors.

No one was supposed to come near him except Amy or himself.

An IV slowly dripped an antidote to the Morpheas into the child's body, allowing him to return to consciousness very cautiously.

Hamilton shook his head sadly. "That boy is from one of the most prestigious families in our...social circle. His parents are known for generous donations to several hospitals and _specialized_ orphanages. Why would they abuse him?"

Amy sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. Slowly the exhaustion from spending so much energy on Healing the nine-year-old grew more pronounced on her features. "Is there ever a good reason to abuse a child?" Then she sighed heavily, eyes watching the small boy sleep peacefully. "But if the Rems family is moving in the same _circles_ as yours or the original Blacks, than I'm sure that discovering their son's lack of magic qualifies as enough of a reason in their books, don't you?"

Her boss turned to heir, clearly surprised. "Jonathan did not inherit the _gift_?"

"No, sir. My scan showed that his levels were too low for entry in one of our private schools. Jonathan may still be able to participate in Herbology or Potions but anything that requires a wand would pose problems," the ravenette reported dutifully. However her eyes hardened as she continued to speak. "Sir, I will contact the Aurors about the abuse. Last night someone from the...old crowd found out where I currently live. They will want to meet me either way."

Dr. Hamilton just nodded absentmindedly. "Do as you please, Healer. The boy could have died had he been found later."

The gray-haired man shook his head, dismayed at Jonathan's sad fate, before retreating to his office. No doubt to fill out some paperwork. However the Healer knew Hamilton had been hit by those news harder than he let on. If he had been younger...

It could have been himself, lying in that bed.

Therefore Amy returned to the locker room as well. She needed to find out when her original shift had started and organize what was left of it.

Besides, she had earned herself an energy bar.

* * *

When she looked through her purse for said treat, Amy noticed that there were several unanswered calls as well as text messages.

All from Tony.

Hesitating for a moment, she decided to listen to them later. Now her job required a clear head. Sighing, the witch returned to the emergency room, snapping into Healer-mode once more. This was going to be a long day either way.

She couldn't use any distractions.

* * *

At eleven p.m., Amy finished her last surgery of the day, having worked for twenty hours without a break after sleeping for six hours. She was on call-duty that night, leaving her no choice but to stay at the hospital if she wanted to keep an eye on her small charge.

Amy bought several feel-better-snacks from the vending machine, before she retreated into the break-room.

She really didn't want to check what messages Tony had left her.

Not so soon after his blow-up.

But the night was young and she couldn't continue to put it off without going crazy wondering what the hell he wanted.

"_You have five new messages on your mailbox. Press one to listen-_," the trusty mechanical voice announced as she pressed the right button. "_Message one. Left at 4:15 on June first, 2006._"

"_Hey... This is Tony. Obviously. We need to talk. Call me. Please,_" the familiar baritone of her (ex-?)boyfriend. He sounded incredibly vulnerable. Sincere, too, if she had to guess. Almost as if he was pleading for her attention.

Beep.

"_If you want to delete the message press two. If you want to call the caller, press three._"

The witch just held her breath.

"_Message two. Left at 4:20 on June first, 2006._"

"_Amy? Are you at work? I'm sorry for freaking out. Can we talk? In person? Please, Gorgeous. I really need to apologize for yesterday._"

Beep.

The same announcement rang through her ear again. But the ravenette just couldn't bring herself to delete the message.

"_Message three. Left at 4:43 on June first, 2006._"

"_Hey, Amy, this is Tony. Again. I know. Are you still too mad to speak to me or did you get called to the hospital? I checked the news there was nothing big enough going on... I really want to apologize, Gorgeous. Please. Call me back when you get this._"

Beep.

"_Message four. Left at 5:00 on June first, 2006._"

"_Well, it's me. Again. Either you are terribly annoyed with these calls or sleeping or working. I'm hoping for work. Please, I realize that I've hurt you very badly. What I said was stupid. Getting drunk after yelling at you probably didn't help either. I'm...so so sorry. Really, you deserve much better than an ass who is ten years older than you._"

Beep.

Amy felt a well of mixed emotions rise inside of her. Of course the witch had seen the compassionate looks the nurses sent her way when she emerged from the surgery on Jonathan. Tony must have done something stupid last night if their overwhelming pity was anything to go by.

"_Message five. Left at 6:00 on June first, 2006._"

"_Hey. It's Tony. Please call me back as soon as you can. I really need to talk to you. Even if you won't forgive me._"

Amy bit her bottom lip in order to contain the tears she knew were welling up behind her eyes. Merlin, she was angry - furious even - with Tony for being unable to keep it in his pants. For running off and getting drunk. For giving up just like that.

For rejecting her just like that.

But she also remembered dancing with him, feeling safe and cared for and - _loved_. Amy could clearly recall the soft look in his eyes, being comforted and cheered up. It was hard to just forget all of the good times over a single fight.

Still - the witch didn't know how she was supposed to proceed right now. Tony had hurt her, especially if he really had bedded another socialite bitch. The genius would have to work hard to gain back any of her trust.

Very hard.

He had called a grand total of twenty-five times and left another five text messages containing pretty much the same info. Asking her to call back and telling her he was sorry.

Amy didn't know how she felt about that.

* * *

Nina directed the gray-haired man with the mustache from the Auror-team that had arrested their attackers her way. Ron accompanied him, quite obviously uncomfortable in his official-looking black suit. (Very FBI, his best friend thought.)

"Thanks, Nina," Amy smiled tiredly at the motherly nurse.

"You're welcome, honey."

When they were left alone, Mustache warded the room thoroughly while Ron hugged his little sister.

"I'm sorry for not contacting you sooner. A nasty case came up and I was called to work earlier than I expected," Amy apologized immediately, polite mask back in place.

"That's alright. You were the one that treated Jonathan Rems then?" Mustache asked conversationally.

Ron just looked inquiringly at the duo. Apparently he had not heard what happened to the small boy.

"Yes, sir. He was in terrible shape. The child has been physically abused for at least three years, by his parents most likely. If he had been found an hour later, he might not have made it until now."

Mustache jotted that down on a conjured parchment. "We will look into that as well. Please provide a copy of your findings at your earliest convenience. By the way, I am Marshall Edwards, Second-in-Command of the New York City Auror Department."

Amy shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Auror Edwards. How can I help?"

Ron slid a file over the table in her direction. "The four attackers are all children of convicted Death Eaters, presumably trained to join the ranks as soon as they came of age. All of them were in Fifth Year when Voldemort fell. We suspect he wants revenge for his downfall, their parents' conviction and possibly other personal reasons. They cannot be the only ones after you. You are no longer safe in that apartment, Ames."

Auror Edwards nodded, adding: "I would suggest moving to one of your lesser-known properties or possibly non-magical safe-houses if you have any in your possession currently."

Sighing, the witch read over the file Ron had provided. She distantly remembered a few of their parents but had absolutely no recollections of their individual person.

"I inherited an Unplottable mansion in the Hamptons, from my grandparents. Although I need to give the hospital another address since commuting from there is... irrational at best in non-magical terms," the raven-haired witch finally announced, absentmindedly tapping on the parchment in front of her.

Ron smiled satisfied. "Alright. The American Minister was kind enough to increase security around the hospital."

Despite herself, Amy felt only slightly relieved. "What about Tony? He's a target too now."

Cue Mustache's frown. "According to our intel, Mr. Stark currently is in Afghanistan. Didn't he mention his travel plans to you?"

Amy sighed, remembering Luna's warning clearly. "No, we had...a fight. Besides he probably wanted to keep that particular trip as quiet as possible because of the Muggle war in Afghanistan. He is very high-profile in the non-magical world and no doubt a good target..."

Just as she was saying this, her beeper went off.

_'Turn on the TV, CNN! Now! Nina'_

Without explaining her actions to the two alarmed Aurors, Amy obeyed.

A picture of Tony was blended in while a newsreader talked with a very serious face: "..._ has been abducted. So far neither Stark Industries nor the military have officially confirmed the kidnapping. Although our sources report that the convoy transporting Tony Stark back to base has been ambushed, killing most of the accompanying soldiers. Numbers are not clear yet._ ..."

Ron gently hugged his little sister who had paled considerably. She might have been fighting with the man but that never lessened how much Amy cared for him. The ginger awkwardly forced her back into her seat.

Auror Edwards appeared very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Ames. We can't interfere with this. The ICW severed any contact with the Afghan Wizarding communities two hundred years ago," Ron muttered softly while rubbing her shoulders awkwardly in a soothing gesture he had picked up from Hermione. "They have erected very dangerous wards to keep any foreign wizards out of their country. But we will begin a search for him. Mione is good with tracking charms and all that."

"Additionally, the American Ministry will loan you a few of our best specialists too. Don't worry, Miss Potter, we'll get him back," Auror Edwards agreed.

Suddenly her mobile rang, cutting off anything Amy might have said.

"Amaryllis Potter-Black? ... Pepper? Slow down, please."

"_Have you heard what happened?_"

Amy could hear the panic in the redhead's voice clear as day. So it was true then? "Yes, I saw the news just now."

"_The military has sent out search troops but I don't think that's enough. They found his blood at the scene..._"

Those words conjured an image in her mind that she never wanted there. "Listen, I'm at the hospital with Ron and his colleague right now. I'm going to put you on speaker, okay? They volunteered to help as much as they can," the witch said calmly.

Inwardly she was panicking. A sense of foreboding chilled her bones.

Pepper agreed.

"This is Virginia Potts, Mr. Stark's personal assistant at Stark Industries." Both men nodded, indicating they would not mention magic at all in this conversation. "Pepper, meet Ron Weasley and Marshall Edwards."

"_Thank you for offering to help_," the redhead immediately replied. "_Okay. Rhodey said that they were ambushed on their way back to base. He didn't have much time to brief me but here is what I know. They suspect some lesser-known terrorist group who have not send out a ransom note yet._"

That was bad. Either they had already killed Tony or wanted something only he could provide them with.

"_Tony has been injured for certain but we don't know how bad. They used Stark Industries weapons! Amy, please...! I wasn't sure who to call and I think you have every right to be angry at Tony. Really, you do. But I need your help. Please!_"

If calm, collected Pepper lost her composure things had to be bad. So Amy reacted in her own unique way - keeping her cool, pushing back her own emotional cocktail to the back of her mind to deal with after this whole ordeal was over and began issuing questions.

Ron smiled slightly wistfully, probably remembering similar instances when they were hunting escaped Death Eaters. Auror Edwards' poor quill almost couldn't keep up with the amount of information Pepper provided.

_The game is on._

* * *

**_Two months later, New York City_**

* * *

Several high-ranking military officials were scheduled to report their findings concerning the rescue mission today. One of the muscles who had been tagging along as security detail had stared in awe at Amy the moment he stepped through the door (eyes instantly flickering to the infamous scar). His name tag read 'Forest' but Amy didn't recognize him from anywhere so she stomped down the irrational urge to Stun him and question the guy with a few drops of Veritaserum.

Everyone else had immediately dismissed the Brit in their midst as 'not dangerous'.

Amy, Pepper and Stane were assembled in the New Yorker office of Stark Industries. The redhead had insisted on the ravenette's participation in this discussion, no matter the previous misgivings between Stane and Amy.

Rhodey had just reported the findings of the search, which were close to non-existent, or at the very least not helpful at all - aided by a few other military and government officials. Therefore Amy had not been paying as much attention as she could have.

"I'm sorry, but neither the government nor the military can afford to continue searching for Mr. Stark," one of the higher-ranked officials in uniform finished.

"How are the chances that Tony is still alive?" Stane inquired.

Amy didn't buy the grief in his voice. She never trusted the man. Something just rubbed her the wrong way with him. So _maybe_ the comparison with Riddle was a little harsh, but Stane triggered her magic like no one else had since Amy had finished hunting Death Eaters.

The government official - something Myers - looked adequately dismayed. "Not very high."

"Less than one percent, to be more accurate," Star-Struck added with compassion ringing thickly in his voice, speaking out of turn for the fury time. (Which earned him a few glares from his comrades and superiors.)

His eyes had been glued to Amy for the entire meeting, annoyingly filled to the brim with more and more awe.

_Definitely _someone who knew of her past.

"What do you recommend?" Stane questioned calmly.

"If it would be one of my men, I'd have declared him missing, presumed killed in action, Mr. Stane."

The bald man nodded his agreement. Just for a second Amy thought she spotted a spark of relief in his eyes.

That was enough. She had reached the end of her thinly stretched patience. To hell with her cool, polite Lady-mask!

How could they just give up like that? Declare Tony dead without proof? Rhodey was supposed to be his friend; Pepper like a sister to Tony! How could his self-declared 'surrogate father' just accept it?!

"Are you _off your rocker?_" Amy blurted out before she could stop herself.

Everyone turned to the petite woman they all had dismissed straight from the beginning. Now she seemed to have grown a foot in anger, turning into one of the most intimidating people they'd ever encountered.

Eyes flashing with anger, hardened to imitate emeralds even more closely.

"Tony Stark is one of the most stubborn men I've ever met. If anyone can survive a terrorist attack, it's him. Besides, he's been supplying you with the best weapons on the market for _years_, giving his all to improve them even more to protect your men. Because - as I understand this -_ the military_ has asked him to demonstrate a new missile and maybe simultaneously lift the men's spirits, he's flown over to a _war-torn country_. _Despite_ his other important engagements, _despite_ the danger, Mr. Stark accepted. You had only _one task_ - protect him while he's there. And you've _failed_! God, you've _all failed_ him big time! Now you want to leave him wherever he is _because the odds are against him_? What a bunch of _backstabbing cowards_ are you lot?"

Amy took a deep breath, never acknowledging the pure, unadulterated astonishment on her opponents' faces that slowly turned to either shame or anger. Nobody dared to interrupt her increasingly loud rant though.

Andromeda had taught her well in that department too.

"Declare him dead? What happened to that saying you Americans are so fond of - 'never leaving a man behind'? Because Tony Stark is _one of your men_, like it or not. He might be a stubborn, arrogant, contrary _arse_, but he's a jerk that nonetheless _deserves to be found,_ dead or alive! He deserves a fucking _funeral_, not some pessimistic _arseholes_ that want to give up after a few weeks of no success! How can you afford his weapons, but not a search for the man who invents them for you? Please explain it to me, because this has to be some _stupid_ Yankee thing since I can't understand your 'reasoning'."

Amy ignored Pepper's calming hand on her shoulder or Rhodey's supposedly compassionate smile.

She was well and truly furious.

"Now listen here..." Official Arse One interrupted.

The witch pierced him with such a dangerous glare that one of the younger, less-brawny guys actually stepped back, raising his arms in surrender.

"_I wasn't finished yet_," she hissed, reminiscent of a cobra about to strike. "You are going back to base _right now_. And you are going to _get your worthless arses back into gear._ I don't want to hear that you've stopped until you've either found Tony or his body. I don't care if you have to dug him out of the fucking desert sand with your bare hands! My brother has been researching with a mixed British-American team of chosen specialists and narrowed down in what area Mr. Stark is most likely being held prisoner. He will kindly share those findings – _again _- with you incompetent cowards. If money is still an issue, call my accountant. But don't ever give up until you've gotten proof Tony's dead! _Are we fucking clear?!_"

"Crystal, ma'am," the soldiers chorused, actually saluting to the tiny, irate Brit.

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?! _The apocalypse?!_"

Instantly the office cleared of everyone except Pepper, Stane, Rhodey and the raven-haired witch. Pepper turned to Amy, hugging the ravenette tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered into the raven-haired woman's ear.

"Don't thank me for telling them the truth. They still need to find him," Amy waved off, still fuming.

Rhodey nodded, excusing himself to rejoin his comrades. Stane left as well, so the two women were alone in the nondescript room.

"I just want Tony to be found so we can _discuss_ our little falling-out," the witch added jokingly, but the remaining vicious glint in her eyes told Pepper Tony would need to do some serious groveling when he came back.

_If he returned alive. _


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still own nothing you recognize. Don't profit from this either, unless enjoying those awesome reviews counts.

* * *

I included a few crucial scenes from the movie, although changed, in this chapter and fast-forwarded through the captivity. You all know the movie anyway and I hate to rehash every little detail so there. It gets boring real quick.

Either way, enjoy!  
Love, W

PS: I tried to increase the length. Not so sure about the chapter, to be honest.

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

* * *

When Tony woke with wires attached to his body, pain radiating out from his chest and disorientated because he was very sure he had never seen a cave like this from the inside before...

The string of expletives raging in his mind would have made some of those soldiers blush.

Apparently Seers were quite real.

At least Luna Longbottom had warned him more explicitly about this than the rest. (In a curious part of Tony's mind he asked himself who 'the Nargles' were. Maybe Amy would know.)

It hurt like hell when the stranger explained what happened to him. Struck by his own weapon, no less!

Tony couldn't understand a word the bastards were throwing at his hurting head but the stranger - another captive - translated, explaining what to do as best as he could.

When he tried to do the good thing - like Amy - and refused to build anymore highly destructive weapons for them...

Tony would never look at water the same way again. That day Amy told him about her scars, when she still trusted him enough to talk to him, the genius couldn't understand what she must have been through to not get laser-scar-removal.

After all, she had the money and the connections to get the creme of the crop for the job.

Although now Tony began to realize maybe it was a way for her to symbolize what she had survived.

_Defeated_.

So the genius took the torture, the pain and tried to come up with a few less insane plans than usual on how to get out of the living hell he had been dragged into. If they got lucky, maybe both the nameless stranger who had saved his worthless life and him could survive this shit.

Therefore Tony got to work, 'agreeing' to build the fucking Jericho missile those bastards wanted so badly while really tinkering on a replacement for the car battery he still was attached to - and maybe their ticket out of the cave.

However the best part for Tony was that none of those fuckers even noticed anything amiss.

* * *

Tony felt the familiar giddiness rush through his body as the miniaturized arc-reactor began to glow a light blue.

God, he loved being a genius sometimes.

Or, well, most of the time.

"That doesn't look like a Jericho missile," the newly identified Yinsen commented, a slight upturn on his lips indicating his amusement.

Tony returned the gesture, oddly proud of himself for developing something Howard had not managed to in a fucking cave. Maybe it had something to do with Yinsen's receding disappointment.

Honestly, the genius really didn't want to delve too deeply into his feelings at the moment.

* * *

Yinsen and Tony were playing backgammon, taking a break from their hard work for a little while. Trying to relax, as much as they could.

"You still didn't tell me where you're from," the genius said conversationally, eyes fixed on their game.

His cell-mate (or cave-mate? He would have to reconsider Batman-references. They got old after a while. Maybe he was going insane...) made his next move.

"I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place."

"Got a family?" Tony asked, trying for casual smalltalk.

He was curious about this man. Yinsen reminded him a little of Amy. Both tried to heal people and protect them – most often from themselves.

"Yes. And I will see them when I'll leave here. How about you, Stark?" the scientist replied with a small, wistful smile.

The genius averted his eyes again, looking into his cup. His first response would have been a resounding 'no' and a shotty joke but then an image of a tousle-haired, happy Amy dancing in the kitchen of the Malibu house - dressed in one of his many Black Sabbath shirts - appeared in the forefront of his mind.

Yinsen immediately noticed the hesitation. (How could he not with all the time he had already spent observing the billionaire?) "Perhaps a girlfriend?"

Tony grimaced slightly when he thought about the sharp pain in Amy's emerald eyes as he shouted at her. "Not anymore. I fucked up quite spectacularly."

The other man steepled his thin surgeon fingers, reminding the genius even more of his (ex-)girlfriend, and leaned back in his seat. "But yet you still love her?"

For a moment the genius startled. Then he sighed.

If Yinsen could already read him like that, they had definitely spent too much time around each other.

"Yeah."

"Why did you 'fuck it up'?" the other scientist's voice practically drew quotation marks in the air, citing his cellmate. Yinsen tried to shy away from too many vulgarisms.

Tony groaned. He really, really hated talking about his feelings. "Amy is about 4'11 or 5' even and probably one of the gentlest, kindest people I'll meet. You remind me a lot of her, by the way. She has lost her whole blood family except for her despicable aunt and her husband and son. At first Amy tried to push me away and was afraid of getting close to anyone, let alone think about a relationship. There are people out after Amy that make our 'hosts' look like nice tea-drinking gentlemen. When she returned to New York with me and my bodyguard, they found her - probably due to the paparazzi - and attacked us. Suddenly she transformed into a blood-thirsty, hot, but very scary Valkyrie."

The genius shook his head, noticing that Yinsen seemed quite intrigued.

"Afterward she told us the whole truth about her past and why those bastards were after her. And I accused her of something very awful along the lines of using me for her own gain, got drunk of my ass in order to forget her and ended up in bed with some blonde bitch accusing me of selling weapons under the table in nicer words," he added.

The scientist shook his head at him. "That didn't answer my question, Stark. _Why_?"

Tony stared shrewdly at his cave-mate. (_Definitely need better Batman-references._)

"I will tell you what I think the reason is, shall I? Stark, you are frightened of getting too close, just to be rejected. All of your life people have exploited you, your brain or body. You're feeling insufficient, undeserving of her love and insecure," Yinsen stated calmly, calculatingly.

Nonetheless, Tony controlled his mind's immediate defensive reaction, curious how far the scientist had gotten in actually reading him.

"Am I right?"

"... Yes."

"Why?"

The genius winced slightly while thinking about his childhood. "There is a lot the public thinks they know about my family. But they have no idea what growing up as a Stark entails."

Unimpressed, Yinsen stared at Tony, their game completely forgotten for the moment.

"... Howard was obsessed with Captain America, searching for him endlessly. Nothing or no one could measure up to his hero. My parents married seven months before I was born, after a short fling. (Translation: I was an accident.) Maria had her lovers on the side and traveled a lot. I had an army of live-in nannies. I can't remember Howard telling me he liked me much less loved me. The happiest day in his life must have been when I was sent off for boarding school. No one around to interrupt his work or mess up his lab anymore..."

Tony ran a hand through his hair, very embarrassed about confessing this to a virtual stranger, even to a stranger who saved his life and probably sanity too. Nonetheless. It just wasn't the genius' style.

Yinsen opened his mouth to respond, but the cell-door opened, revealing the terrorists who carried hot coal.

They never talked about Tony's confession again after that little incident.

* * *

Yinsen had sacrificed himself to buy Tony time. It was more than most people had ever done for the genius and he wished there was some form or way to help his fellow scientist as he laid there, slowly bleeding out. Or maybe repay him for everything.

"Don't waste your life, Stark. Get your Amy. Love is nothing to be afraid of," Yinsen rasped out, breathe shallow. "Don't waste it."

Then he died.

None of his martyr sacrifice would matter if Tony succumbed to the grief now though, so he focused on the blinding rage boiling somewhere in his stomach, slowly bubbling over.

The least the genius could do was to avenge Yinsen; maybe abide to his dying wish.

Even if the billionaire had already decided to become a better person if he ever received a chance to get out of this hellhole.

So Tony lit their hide-out up in flames, taking as many of those bastards and Stark Industries' weapons down as he could. Trying to destroy his own creations, to decimate their arsenal as much as possible. To get back in some form at the bastards who killed all those green soldiers.

No one at Stark Industries particularly wanted to anger Tony Stark for a reason.

* * *

Water had quickly become one thing the genius would avoid outside of a bottle in the near future but sand was definitely another.

He could clearly see no trips to the beach on his horizon.

Stumbling through a desert, lost, with aggravated wounds, sunburn and absolutely no rations, was _not fun_.

Tony felt sand everywhere, irritating his already agitated skin further.

If he never saw a desert again it was too soon.

The genius just hoped - _prayed_ - for search troops to find him before he lost consciousness due to dehydration. Or the terrorists caught up with him.

There was no way to know how long he had been held captive by the Ten Rings, but Tony clung to the faint hope that Pepper, Rhodey, Obie or Amy hadn't given up on him yet. Despite estimating that he had stayed for round about three months with Raza and his henchmen.

Although his_ notable_ escape-attempt might have been something of a hint. Not every day a mini-firework consisting of various explosive devices exploded in the Afghan mountains.

On the other hand, some of those military types he had met weren't exactly the brightest, the genius mused inwardly. Or most loyal, now that he thought about it...

When he heard the helicopters above him, relief flooded Tony's system.

Bantering with Rhodey was something the genius appreciated more than he let on. It reminded him of before this nightmare began.

Of_ home._

"Next time you ride with me," he heard his best friend decree, helpless relief softening his harsher tone. Tony chuckled to himself, just basking in the feel of assured freedom.

Meanwhile they climbed into the helicopter, a medic fixing the burns and wounds.

"I swear if you don't, your girl will probably have my balls and then my head," Rhodey muttered, shivering slightly as if imagining the wrath of Amy descend upon him. It was probably a good thing the Stark Industries-liaison had no idea just how justified that fear was.

Tony perked up at hearing anything about his (ex-)girlfriend. Or so he hoped. "Amy?"

"Yeah. I had no idea how scary that woman can be," Jimmy told him seriously. "When the higher-ups wanted to drop the funding for your search, she yelled them into submission better than any drill sergeant ever could. Scared one guy shitless."

A mixture of pride, love, gratefulness and fear swirled through his exhausted body. Tony grinned slightly, 'absentmindedly' swatting the medic away from his chest.

"Amy might be a midget, but she transforms into a freaking Valkyrie when she's mad," he agreed. "Sort of like a mama bear."

Rhodey snorted, smiling slightly. "Yeah. I suggest you get on your knees and start groveling because Miss Potter made sure we found you. Apparently one of her brothers is someone in the British Special Forces or something and he and his team determined the area where they kept you. Without that we'd never gotten here in time."

Tony found his bruised and battered heart beat faster. "Amy did that?" '_For me?'_

Rhodey nodded, eyes softening a little more when he spotted the hopeful look on his friend's face. "Yeah. She's a keeper, man. Seriously. I think she'd even take you back after shagging Christine Everheart or whoever it was."

However, those old doubts began to settle in at this declaration. "Maybe. Amy is too forgiving for her own good."

Tony didn't expect the light slap against his head that followed his muttering.

"You're a dumbass if you let her go now. That woman might punch you in the nuts a few times but Pepper thinks she genuinely loves you so don't fuck up again. Her brother is scary as hell. One of them - I swear more and more pop up out of thin air - has this BAMF fang-earring and half of his face is scarred."

Rhodey always had a strange idea on how to comfort a person, Tony thought as he tried to ignore the images his exhausted mind conjured in conjunction with scary, ginger Weasley brothers.

Once, during one of their lunch-dates, Amy mentioned offhandedly that the only thing they were truly afraid of was their mother, little sister and wives' ire.

Well... the genius thought he might have angered them as well when he hurt Amy.

Tony was _screwed_.

But at least he could try to amend the piercing words he hurled in Amy's face before they killed him anyway.

* * *

Tony practically jumped out of the stupid wheelchair he had been forced into after heatedly refusing any sort of treatment concerning his possible chest-wounds when they finally landed in Malibu, on his private air-strip.

Rhodey helped him down the ramp, although it made the genius feel weak or handicapped which he wasn't nor wanted to ever experience again but refrained from complaining because he still hadn't regained his full strength and didn't want to hurt his best friend's feelings.

Tony Stark would _never_ be useless, weak or helpless ever again.

Not if he could help it.

Pepper and Happy stood next to the black Rolls, both looking immensely relieved.

Only Amy was missing from the welcoming-committee.

Tony's eyes scanned the environment even as he teased the redhead for crying. In the shadow of a black minivan - where he knew no cameras could detect her - the genius spotted Amy's expressive emerald eyes flashing with relief and so much more.

She shed a single tear, holding his gaze for a long moment, then a quiet crack could be heard, announcing her disappearance.

The woman his heart yearned for had vanished (Tony didn't even mind using big boy words straight out of Shakespeare for her) into thin air.

Amy had refused to talk to him, to hug him or be anywhere near him, but at least she had come to check if he had truly come back in one piece. It symbolized how much damage his words had inflicted on their relationship - but he hoped the rift was amendable.

_At least Amy came at all_, he thought smiling slightly. She still cared enough about Tony to scare several high-ranking people shirtless, in order to save his sorry ass; silently checking if he was okay and maybe give him another chance if he _really_ got lucky.

_Maybe_ - and it was the six-year-old in him that had tried everything to gain his parents' affection who dared to voice that thought - _she loved him too. _

Although now Tony had an announcement to make, a weapons section to shut down ASAP and finally to begin atoning for his countless mistakes.

Starting with Amaryllis Lilith Jamie Dorea Potter-Black, momma-bear & witch extraordinaire.

Right after the press conference he would seek her out, the genius promised himself.


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** No rights to Harry Potter or Iron Man, I own.

* * *

The much anticipated apology. Hopefully all of Amy's avenging angels are satisfied with her wrath. (; All of Tony's supporters – get out your tissues, favorite popcorn, chips (/crisps) or whatever you prefer when watching a movie! Enjoy!  
Love, W

PS: This is about 4,000 words worth of an apology. Just FYI...

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

* * *

Pepper had been the one to tell her where and when Tony returned from Afghanistan, although she didn't expressively issued an invitation to join them. But Amy couldn't help herself so she sneaked a peek on him.

Really, Tony had her worried out of her mind. How injured was he? Where had he been hit? With what? Did the kidnappers torture him? Would he be fine?

She thought so.

Stubbornness - which, admittedly, Tony Stark possessed in abundance - provided a good basis for resilience. Although sometimes the healing process could be hindered by that same trait if you solely relied on yourself, bottling everything up, she knew from personal experience. After this whole ordeal, Tony's trust issues would only increase, or so Amy thought.

Either way, the witch had watched him greet his friends, almost absentmindedly, while his eyes clearly searched for her.

Then their gazes locked onto each other, exchanging a ton of information without a single spoken word.

Information that caused her to allow herself lenience when it came to nick naming him in her head. Otherwise she most likely would call him 'Stark' again.

In those hazel eyes lingered longing, shame, slight fear, relief, determination - and something soft, warm, _beautiful_.

Something the witch refused to name in case she had simply imagined it.

So instead of staying, celebrating or throwing herself into his arms like women in really cheesy movies tended to do, Amy returned to work.

Jonathan had been in a coma until last week, so there was someone who needed her more than Tony at the moment. Pepper would take care of everything concerning her (ex-)boyfriend's health while the little abused boy didn't have anyone who really cared but Amy and a few very busy nurses.

* * *

She slipped into Jonathan's room, her shift having ended twenty minutes ago. Even though the witch really wanted to sleep or eat or _punch_ _something_, she always visited the small squib if she had no other, more pressing obligations. (For example, Voldemort's second resurrection counted as something more pressing, in her books.)

Jonathan seemed to be awake as he surveyed her. They had built a small measure of trust, very tentative, between them over the time he had been conscious.

"Hello, Dr. Amy," the child greeted her.

Amy smiled kindly at him. "Hello to you too. How has your day been?"

"Nurse Nina gave me a coloring book. I drew something for you," Jonathan told her, a small, happy shimmer entering his shockingly blue eyes.

He scrambled off the bed, cautiously chancing a look at her, before handing her a page depicting a stick-figure with red shoes and green dots as eyes holding the stick-hand of a smaller figure who was Jonathan. They were both waving at her from the page.

The Healer smiled. "Thank you. This is beautiful. I'll put it on my locker, alright?"

"May I give you a hug?" the small child asked timidly, blushing and averting his gaze.

Therefore the witch couldn't refuse. Even if she had wanted to.

Hugs were a rare currency for abused children.

Amy held him gently, ruffling his short hair affectionately. Jonathan reminded her of a timid, insecure version of Teddy.

"You looked like you needed a hug, Dr. Amy," the boy explained earnestly to her unasked question.

She hugged him again, not letting him go quite yet. "Thank you."

"Was Dr. Johnston a meanie to you again?"

Choking on her laughter, Amy replied: "No, he is busy somewhere else. Did you listen to the nurses gossip?"

Jonathan guiltily looked at the floor.

"It's alright. I would have probably done the same thing, Squirt," the Healer assured him, amusement leaking into her voice.

The child perked up again. "When you said talking about the nasty dreams would make them go away..."

She ruffled his hair again. "Yes. Well, my boyfriend? It's complicated. Either way, some mean guys captured him and I couldn't do anything about it but he came home today."

Jonathan blinked innocently up at her, scrunching up his nose in thought. "But you had to work?"

She smiled sadly. "Yes, that is part of the reason why I couldn't come to see him."

"And the other part?" the persistent child asked.

"We were attacked by Death Eaters. He is a Muggle, so he was quite shocked when he discovered magic is real. Then he said something very mean, left and... kissed someone else which hurt me a lot."

The child smiled at her, not quite understanding the issue. "But you are going to forgive him, aren't you? You said he is your boyfriend, so you must love him. Don't you?"

Amy sighed. Sometimes she wished she could return to thinking like a child. "Yes, I have forgiven him a long time ago. It's just hard to trust him again now." (Surprisingly, it was the truth.)

At that Jonathan nodded seriously, before brightening up again. He suggested with a wrinkled nose: "If you want you can be my girlfriend to make him jealous, Dr. Amy."

Laughing the witch ruffled his hair again.

Then she listened as he told her all about his day, learning new 'muggle stuff' and praising his precise as possible coloring in his new book. When Jonathan left the hospital in a few days, Amy would miss their little talks.

Although she'd be damned if she wouldn't keep in contact with the small child that she had come to care greatly for.

* * *

After her visit with Jonathan, Amy changed into a pair of black track shorts and a red tank-top. She planned to go to her boxing lessons today, regardless of the possible attendance of Johnston at her gym.

The git had gotten through all the willing nurses and set his eyes on her, the only female doctor, now. Especially after her relationship with Tony Stark became public knowledge and also, just as publicly, seemed to have ended.

Apparently his, Johnston's, flirt-methods included borderline-stalking.

Shivering at that particular thought, Amy signed out.

Nina held her back, pointing meaningfully at the TV screen in the marble foyer of the hospital. She upped the volume for the Healer. "..._Tony Stark has announced the immediate shut-down of Stark Industries' weapons section this morning. As of yet it is unknown what he plans for the company's future. Stocks of the company have begun to drop drastically_. ..."

Nina muted the TV again, despite the ongoing report. A slow, proud smile stretched on Amy's face.

After his bloody abduction, there really had been only two major reactions to weapons manufacturing left for Tony to choose. One: submerge himself completely in revenge, inventing even more destructive, deadly weapons for the military. Two: abandon the business fully in favor of his company's other pursuits.

At least Amy thought so, after observing him for over three months on an almost daily basis.

Nina hugged her. "I'm happy he's home again, honey, but please slap him a good one for sleeping with that Vanity Fair chit," the elder nurse pleaded teasingly with enough seriousness to indicate her true intent.

The Healer smiled. "No promises. Keep an eye out for Jonathan, would you?"

However she felt about that promise, Nina nodded nonetheless. "He grew on you too," the nurse observed warmly.

Amy smiled. "Yeah. I've been talking to him for an hour and a half today. Said I should kiss and make up with Tony. Jonathan even offered to play my fake boyfriend if I wanted him to, although he still believes girls have cooties."

They shared an indulgent smile between themselves. That little boy had sneaked into their hearts over the last weeks.

"He's a cutie," Nina agreed.

The raven-haired witch highly suspected Jonathan would find a cup of chocolate pudding on his tray for dinner tonight, despite it not being on his menu.

Shaking her head, the Healer left, crossing the street a few times to be on time for her lesson.

* * *

Amy warmed herself up with stretches and some running on a treadmill before she joined her personal trainer (a self-indulgence Hermione insisted she needed because of her mad schedule) for their session.

It lasted an hour and a half.

Somehow beating the metaphorical snot out of punching bags always helped to vent her aggression and got rid of any leftover stress from work or her social obligations as Lady of two Houses. (For example, tea with several other snobbish pureblood Ladies which do not hide that they think they're all superior to her, the one who has 'usurped' her place in their society. As if she _liked_ to have tea with some women who, ten years ago, actively cheered for her death. Because they did and she knew they knew she _knew_.)

Not to mention any of the things she had to do as The-Woman-With-Way-Too-Many-Fucking-Titles.

Usually Amy relished in training so much that afterward her whole body simply collapsed in bed at her apartment, spent but feeling lighter than before.

Unfortunately, this also activated her buried 'Auror-instincts' making it hard for her to differentiate between her trainer or the Creep (aka Johnston). Whoever tried to get in her space - as both aforementioned men had painfully discovered - got a punch in the face and a kick to where it _really_ hurt.

Johnston hadn't learned his lesson yet though, annoyingly. Flirting at work, following the witch to her gym and insisting on lunch-breaks with her apparently didn't provide enough opportunity to hit on her.

_Stalker_.

Maybe she should consider a restraining order if nothing helped, the Healer thought.

So when someone seemed to try to creep up behind her, Amy reacted on instinct.

Only it happened to be someone else entirely than who the Healer expected.

"_Ow_! Fucking _hell_, Amy! I get that you're still angry at me but _seriously_?" Tony managed to wheeze out - after catching his breath.

The witch blushed brightly. "Sorry for kneeing you. I thought you were this creep from work. How was I supposed to guess that you'd come here of all places?" Amy defended herself, while pushing him on an abandoned chair in a corner, subtly conjuring an ice-pack for the billionaire.

Her keen eyes were cataloging every visible injury, scar; each little difference from the Tony prior to Afghanistan.

"I told you I wanted to apologize! And I meant it. So please give me a few minutes to explain?" he asked. His usually confident tone nearly bordered on begging.

Amy pulled another chair out from a pile, sitting across from him and waiting for the explanation. The witch was involuntarily flattered he'd come to New York, so soon after his capture, just to apologize.

"I can't heal you completely or they'd notice," she muttered, very embarrassed.

Tony waved it off. "'S alright. Nina said you'd be here, so I followed you. Anyway, apology. I had this really sappy idea of hijacking your favorite nurse and surprising you at the hospital with flowers and chocolates and some other romantic sh-stuff but that didn't work out. _Obviously_."

Amy bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling. _Why in the world had Tony decided to talk about his feelings today? With her of all people?_ She would have thought Pepper or maybe Rhodey to be the ones the genius turned to now.

Despite his evident uncomfortableness, Tony soldiered on: "Anyway, I saw you this morning. You know, when you were trying to hide behind that mini-van and secretly checking up on me although you were supposed to work? Yeah. I realize this might not be the perfect location for an apology but at least when I'm done talking you can properly beat me up so there."

Amy shook her head. "I'm no going to 'beat you up'. Johnston just creeps up on me trying to grope my arse and I can't always reign in my, er, instincts."

"Even after ten years?" Tony sounded so uncharacteristically surprised by that admission.

However, a grain of understanding, of dawning realization, began to grow in his eyes. Something Amy had not wished for. It meant he had literally gone trough hell these last months. (Not that the witch expected anything else, but some hope had remained, after all.)

She smiled sadly: "No. I doubt I'll ever get complete control over myself."

The genius simply nodded, filing this information away for later. "Back to my apology. Please don't interrupt or I'll get sidetracked. Okay? Awesome."

Despite herself, the witch thought his nervous rambling quite endearing.

_ Cute_, even.

He seemed to have put a lot of thought into what he wanted to say so Amy allowed him the space he needed.

"So. I came here to tell you two things. First off: I'm regretting ever having hurled that accusation at your head. See? Big boy words. Extra for you."

Maybe his quick mind was working against him because the to-mouth-filter literally vanished whenever Tony talked faster than normal.

Or got nervous, apparently.

"I acted like an ass, I know. Who would've thought _that_ was real, though? It's..._awesome_ but I'm a scientist. At first I didn't want to believe it but the ambush and then your little trick proved the existence of it to my brain. You introduced a hypothesis, experimented slightly and showed your results. Very scientific, actually."

By now Amy had to bite her lip a bit harder. Especially because Tony's hair defied gravity (due to him constantly running his hands through it) much like her's when she was younger and Petunia insisted on what passed as a homemade pixie-cut.

The madly intelligent genius honest-to-Merlin _rambled_ now.

"So, yeah. I could accept it. But I can't understand what you see in me. Literally I can't. You're this amazing, stunning doctor who saves lives and the world on your off-days. You could have anyone you wanted and it just didn't make _sense_ why you chose me. I'm not exactly responsible, a gentleman or a family person - or anything else you deserve. I'm feeling like this villain with the mustache corrupting the innocent princess or something. Besides, Obadiah's crap was still fresh in my mind. So I blurted out the first thing on my tongue. It was foolish and wrong."

Tony took a deep breath. He flinched slightly as his chest heaved. The sling the genius wore during the press conference had gotten lost somewhere on his way to New York.

Amy looked at him with concern but respected his wish for her to hear him out. Later, she promised herself, her maybe-boyfriend would be subjected to a thorough examination.

"For that I'm very, very sorry. Even more so for getting too drunk to refuse that blonde. It should have been you. I realized my mistake the second I woke up and could think clearly. And I know sorry isn't going to cut it. That's okay. I just wanted to apologize because you deserve a proper excuse."

This definitely was not what she had been expecting him to say.

At all.

Obviously he had spent some time considering their relationship. Amy could read his sincerity, his genuine shame, clear as day. Apparently, the genius decided to let her in, taking off all of his masks.

Just for her.

It said so much more about his concern, feelings and intentions than anything his words could have told the witch.

However, Tony hadn't finished quite yet. "Secondly, while I was stuck in a fucking cave, of all places, I thought a lot about you. What I wanted to tell you if I got another chance, that sort of stuff."

Suddenly the inventor became very serious. Some of the earlier nervousness vanished as he gently grabbed her bandaged hand, tracing the white textile with his calloused fingers.

Never in a million years had Amy expected this confession to actually _go on_.

"So here goes. Initially, when we met for the first time and you didn't seem all that fazed by my name, I was fascinated. I'm not sure if you noticed but it was a challenge to me. At first I just wanted to learn more about you but when I couldn't find an Amy anywhere under your description, I got really curious. That's why I was so persistent when we met again at that gala. You looked drop dead gorgeous, by the way."

The Healer had an inkling where this might go, but held her tongue. There was _something_ welling up inside of her torso she hadn't felt for such a long time, it could - _had_ to - be an hallucination.

"No one had ever not wanted me for just being me. You did though. In hindsight, it's kind of obvious. You didn't buy my crap so I had to act more like myself than most people ever care to look. But you're _clearly not_ 'most people', which is why I began to trust you slowly. You fascinated me. Strangely enough, I didn't want to just get in your panties but make you happy too."

Tony continued to run a hand through his hair, getting embarrassed by his own emotional confession. Meanwhile, Amy lost the fight against her control, letting a small, genuine smile slip through her defenses. It seemed to reassure the genius.

"Gorgeous, there's a whole list of things I like about you. Your eyes, because they always tell me exactly what you're thinking. Your hair which is always tousled. Your laughter. Seriously, I get turned on whenever I hear that. It's ridiculous and embarrassing. Your scars because they show how strong you really are. Your height because it's a perfect fit when you're sleeping next to me. Your temper. Rhodey told me what you did to those cowards. I watched the video feed, by the way. It's scary, dangerous but incredibly sexy."

By now Amy was blushing madly. Tony noticed, of course he did, but only smiled softly in response.

"That's another thing I like about you - loyalty. You're just an incredibly good person that doesn't expect anything in return for her generosity except for civil politeness. I don't know how you can still maintain so much innocence or _goodness_ after all the shit you've been through. You're too forgiving for your own good sometimes and I lo-like you for that even more than I already do. That morning when you cooked breakfast in one of my shirts...

"Look, I realize you're not some damsel in distress and you can take care of yourself. I also realize that I'm no knight in shiny armor or shit like that. Far from it. But I want to try and just become a better person. Someone who might actually _deserve_ to be with you because right now I am definitely not-"

In that precise moment, Amy leaned forward, gently grabbing his face and kissed him deeply in order to shut him up.

Tony kissed back. "Please let me finish or else I won't ever get this all out?"

Nodding, the witch continued to listen.

"I'm a selfish, arrogant ass. _Don't_ deny it! I am. But I really do love you and I seriously don't know who I'm supposed to trust right now and you're the last person to ever betray anyone. I know this is probably too soon..."

Then the genius muttered something indistinguishable under his breath that sounded like 'wannamoveinwithme?'

Despite similar incidents where Amy herself had rushed out something, she couldn't discern what in the world he wanted. She was simply too stunned to interpret nervous-speak at the moment. "I'm sorry, but what was the last bit?"

Tony braced himself with another deep breath. "I love you, Amaryllis Lilith Jamie Dorea Potter-Black. So will you move in with me? Just for a while if you don't want to make it permanent and you don't have to quit your job or anything. I mean there are ways to travel magically, aren't there? We could make this work..."

Despite all of her earlier anger, disappointment and caution, Amy found herself kissing him again before her brain caught up with her actions.

Over the last three months she had brooded a lot about their fight and knew it was partly her fault that things had escalated so spectacularly.

"You're not the only one who messed up three months ago, Tony. I explained it quite clumsily or could have told you earlier. As to my job – a clinic in Beverly Hills offered me a nice spot as the second-in-command for the emergency room. I'm not going to miss the rain too much, trust me, but I want to stay until my latest patient will be released which should be around next week," Amy replied, trying to apologize for her own part in this mess.

"I mean this way you can be better protected from mundane threats and I get your magical protection. Right?" Tony argued right back, seemingly not having heard much from her retort.

The witch laughed relieved, tension seeping out of her body by the second. "You _prat_! I love you too, Tony. You don't need to bribe me. But if we really are moving in with each other, even temporarily, then there are a few things we need to arrange."

"How about we get some nice Italian food, then talk?" the genius suggested.

Amy didn't mind. Not at all.

* * *

The newly reunited couple was too busy kissing and apologizing to each other to notice two redheads watching them from the doorway. Both women smiled, relief evident in their expressions.

"I'm Pepper Potts, Tony's PA," the taller of the two introduced herself, keeping her eyes on her injured charge.

"Ginny Weasley-Thomas. I'm Amy's sister," the other elegantly dressed woman explained politely. She was smaller in height but more athletically built.

"Nice to meet you," Pepper replied, smiling slightly.

"You too. Amy told me about you. I was going to curse him to hell and back for hurting Amy's feelings but getting punched and kneed by her is probably worse - even though it was an accident. When she did that to Malfoy, the git couldn't stand upright for a day."

The Stark PA smiled deviously. "What did that man do?"

"You don't know? Well, he was Amy's school-rival. I think he had a crush on her but didn't know what to do about it. He insulted her parents one too many times in Eighth Year," the Chaser smirked with a hint of maliciousness. "Although I must say Tony's little speech redeemed him quite well."

"Oh, do you have any more embarrassing stories?" Pepper asked, a strange glint in her eyes.

Suddenly the two redheads' expression matched.

"Trade you?" they asked simultaneously.

Laughing, Pepper nodded. "Deal."

Ginny grinned, mentally rubbing her hands impishly. "Alright. I just have to call off the overprotective prat-brigade."

"I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership," the PA muttered.

Ginny's smirk only grew in proportion.

* * *

PS: I'll still update '**Developments**' but it takes a while to finish my latest idea. Sorry. I just changed the status, because the chapters are individual one-shots. Alright?

Hoped you enjoyed!


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **Tengo nada! (I own nothing!)

* * *

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING/FAVORIT-ING/FOLLOWING!

I am so very grateful! This is awesome! Petal officially hit more than 140,000 views. Holy s***! (insert happy dance and crazy headbanging) It's incredible!

Sorry for the long(er) delay. My aunt of sorts invited me over to her house and I couldn't say no because she's awesome. Plus I was a bit blocked on how to continue after getting such a great response for the last chapter! I try to live up to your expectations as much as possible.

Alright, enough about that! Enjoy!  
Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

* * *

Tony stared at the bird tapping on his girlfriend's study window.

He had just finished working on a new arc reactor that would replace the original one and needed her help to put it in his chest. Usually the genius would have asked Pepper, but Amy was the one he trusted more - plus she happened to be the only doc he allowed to treat his wounds.

Now though Tony was confronted with a very real, _living_, tawny _owl_ flying through the window to his self-designed house.

An owl which landed on his girlfriend's desk, commandingly sticking out her leg in Amy's direction. As if it owned the place.

Only then did the genius notice that something had been fastened on the bird's talons.

"Oh, Artemis. Did you fly all the way to America for me?" Amy asked softly as she carefully unloaded the owl's baggage.

'Artemis' barked shortly, seemingly answering her question.

"Thank you. Are you supposed to wait for a reply?" his beautiful girlfriend continued to talk to the freaky owl, acting like it actually understood each and every word.

If it could, the bird would have given her a 'duh'-look.

Tony slowly felt increasingly creeped out by 'Artemis'.

Of course, Amy didn't even bat an eyelash at the owl's strange, domineering attitude.

_Is this normal behavior for raptorial birds or witches?_

Instead of shooing it off, his girlfriend smiled apologetically at 'Artemis'. "Alright. Give me a minute or two. There, some water. I'm afraid we don't have any owl treats available."

This evoked an indignant, disapproving hoot. Artemis flopped her wings to find a better position on the desk and gulped down some water.

However, for Tony this represented the cherry on top of a mountain of whipped cream.

"Okay...?" he muttered, disrupting the tense silence settling in as Amy read over what looked like a piece of parchment.

_Parchment_!

His words startled his favorite doc, causing her to cry: "Tony!" followed by an "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes. Just... An _owl_?" the genius motioned to the indignant, hooting, feathery bird on her desk.

"Uh oh," she confirmed as if that should be something glaringly obvious. Instead of freaking out, his girlfriend just kept on reading absentmindedly. "This is Ginny's familiar, Artemis. Artemis, that's Tony. Play nice," Amy introduced inattentively as she mulled over her 'sister's letter.

When the owl heard his name, it focused its large brown eyes on the genius. If a bird could actually issue death glares, this one definitely would.

_Spooky_.

Tony made a mental note to donate more to Greenpeace or WWF in order to lessen the hate even _animals_ seemed to feel for him. Maybe he should try both? It couldn't hurt, at any rate.

"Apparently Ginny and her husband decided to come over for a few days. The Harpies play against the Malibu Menaces next weekend to which she invited us," his girlfriend explained when she had finally finished reading.

Tony nodded slowly, not quite understanding the problem. "That's... nice."

"Yes, well..." Amy hesitated before looking into his eyes, a faint amused glint twinkling in those emerald depths. "Pepper RSVP-ed for us already, so there is absolutely no way out of this."

The genius shivered, recognizing this as an attempt at revenge for fucking things up three and a half months ago. Pepper's meticulously planned, special brand of revenge, no doubt. "Why does this suddenly sound..._bad_ somehow?"

"Because the rest of the clan is coming as well?" the witch replied uncertainly.

"What exactly do you mean by 'the rest'?" Tony asked, slight hysteria setting in.

He clearly remembered Rhodey's less than encouraging words concerning Amy's 'brothers' on the flight back to America. Add to that the fact he knew they were all magic-wielding, overprotective big brothers who mostly seemed to work dangerous jobs, fought in a war when barely legal and had the scars to prove it, the genius prayed that he didn't need to update his will before the outing.

Amy grinned, evidently torn between bemusement at his rising panic or worrying about his health, explained: "All of the boys, wives, kids, Molly, Arthur - even Andy and Teddy. Everyone."

"I'm screwed, aren't I?" the inventor muttered, trying to calm himself down enough to function.

His minx laughed, drawing him in a loose embrace. "No. They wouldn't risk setting me off, believe me. Although they might try to be sneaky. Maybe I can convince Ginny to talk to them about using spells around you. I still don't trust this fairy light in your chest around magic."

Tony smiled slightly, the light tension caused by the hug slowly melting away. "About that. Would you mind helping me with something?"

Instantly the genius held her full attention as a professional medical. Frowning, Amy examined his chest. "Is everything alright? Does it still hurt? Did I hurt you just now?"

Her boyfriend shook his head. "No, Gorgeous. I finished working on a new one a little while ago. It's stronger than this piece of crap."

"Sure. What do you need me to do?" his doc asked - concerned but professionally holding herself in check.

"I'll show you."

* * *

Tony was situated in a chair, JARVIS monitoring his heart-rate, when Amy caught sight of his mutilated chest for the first time. Only years of training as a doctor as well as her shitty childhood seemed to keep her from either breathing fire down on whoever hurt him or crying.

The genius could recognize the warring emotions in her eyes, despite the calm, collected mask his girlfriend wore as she worked.

She exchanged the devices without much fuss, sticking to his instructions - probably in order to get this ordeal over with. The ravenette didn't complain once about the pus-like discharge nor the frankly disgusting smell or actually having to help him.

Additionally, she ignored his valiant attempts at lewd jokes - or all of his attempts to break up the tension, really. ("This is definitely not what I was fantasizing about when I imagined you going all Doctor Potter-Black on me." "Tony? Shut up." "Definitely not. It went more like -" "If I didn't think this whole workshop would explode in our faces or something, I'd put a Silencing Spell on you.")

Amy just got the job done, as quickly as possible.

For the entire length of the procedure, she didn't talk more than necessary. Never to ask any questions about how the hole in his chest came to be or why scars seemed to burst out of the cavity. (Although the inventor doubted Amy needed it spelled out for her.)

Instead his doc kept strictly to his distinct instructions.

Nonetheless, Tony caught the simmering anger, the tell-tale tightening around her eyes and mouth, the many little cues that it hurt Amy to see the genius as vulnerable as this.

It soothed something twisty deep inside of him. The billionaire might formerly have been a playboy, but he had always suffered from deep-set insecurities.

Despite living together for almost two weeks now, they had abstained from making love. Tony had not felt comfortable with personal contact so soon after everything. When Amy slipped into his bed at night, because JARVIS notified her dutifully of his nightmares, the inventor always wore one of his older AC/DC shirts, covering most of the blue glow.

Therefore the exchange of the two arc reactors signified the first time his girlfriend saw his naked chest since Afghanistan.

On the upside, Amy didn't run away screaming on the top of her lungs. She didn't hesitate to touch him, or to rub some sort of soothing salve on his scars.

All in all more than the genius had allowed to hope for if he was honest with himself.

Instead of letting her emotions out though, his favorite doc continued her careful examination of his chest. She probed gently at some faint bruises, burns or scarred-over cuts.

"I can't vanish the shrapnel pieces without you developing serious inner bleeding which I estimate would kill you within five minutes or less. Summoning them would do the same thing only through your skin and any organs which happen to be in their way. However, I can help with the pain, lingering after-effects of your dehydration, malnourishment or nightmares if you want me to," Amy reported as detached as possible.

Tony shook his head no. "I'm good. Thank you."

In return, she gave him a small, strained smile. "You're welcome, Black Sabbath. But come see me again whenever something feels wrong or starts bothering you. That salve is supposed to help with the scarring. Okay?"

So he promised.

Even if the genius intended to never actually follow through with his promise unless he actually, desperately needed to.

Then Amy fled from the room as fast as possible without running.

* * *

Tony left her to it but forced JARVIS to keep tabs on her whereabouts. Apparently his girlfriend chose to let out her aggression on a poor punching bag in the gym. If Amy ever found out who was responsible for his injuries...

The genius almost pitied Raza and his gang of cowardly thugs.

_Almost_ being the operative word right there.

Not because the inventor had developed some warped Stockholm Syndrome but for the simple reason that Amy hated killing - which she would no doubt feel guilty for when she was finished with the Ten Rings.

Luckily, the billionaire didn't care how many people had been booted to the afterlife (it was real, after all Amy had been there) by his girlfriend. He just hoped she wouldn't do something horrifically stupid.

Never mind his own plans with the suit.

After shrugging on a new shirt, Tony went to comfort her – that or saving his punching bag from magical and non-magical obliteration.

Whichever he would eventually succeed at.

* * *

The genius tried to make as much noise as possible to warn his furious girlfriend of his approach. Her punch hurt like hell - not to mention what she could inflict with her knee. Therefore the inventor rather saved himself a repeat performance, thank you very much.

"Feeling better, Gorgeous?" Tony asked gently.

Amy shook her head, skillfully avoiding his gaze. She simultaneously stopped beating the shit out of the punching bag. "I'm sorry for running off like that. I just... My magic was too close to the surface. Only thinking about what they did to you makes me - want to hit things. Very hard. Maybe blow something up, too. It _scares_ me," his doc admitted, voice quivering as she suppressed angry tears.

Tears on his behalf.

Tony sighed, pulling her in a tight embrace. "I love you too, sweetheart."

Suddenly the genius found himself with a crying witch in his arms. Instead of pushing her away, or complain about hysterical women as he would have last year, Tony just held her more tightly in order to provide what lousy comfort he could.

Plus, he doubled as real-life tissue, allowing her to rub tears and snot all over his shirt.

Strangely enough it felt...good. _Nice_. Comforting her made him feel - kind of warm inside.

Slowly Amy composed herself again. So the genius gave his girlfriend a mischievous grin, knowing something that would cheer her up for sure.

"C'mon. I have something better than to blow up the house. Not that I don't understand the sentiment."

Which is how the couple ended up in Tony's Lamborghini, racing over the highway like well-controlled adrenaine-junkies/maniacs.

Actually, in Tony's _humble _opinion, it was definitely worth the speeding ticket, not that the genius cared about the money.

Additionally, the spontaneous dinner-date at some small drive-in neither of the two had ever heard of cheered them both up further, dissolving whatever awkward tension survived until then.

At least no one bothered them in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

Tony surveyed his still sleeping girlfriend. According to his alarm it only happened to be three o'clock - in the morning. Today they'd go see Ginny's game, along with the rest of the Weasley clan.

In moments like these he knew that Yinsen had been right. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Except for losing those one loved, of course.

The genius knew how much Amy cared for her adoptive family, their opinion, and didn't quite feel prepared to meet them. Even though his girlfriend had already met what was left of his own social circle.

_What if they disapproved?_ The engineer couldn't care less, or at least not overly much, but would Amy defend him against their claims or end their relationship?

In essence - go against their wishes to stay with him?

His girlfriend turned slightly in her sleep, burying her tousled head deeper into his side.

"Don't worry too much," Amy muttered sleepily in his chest. "Just be yourself."

Tony chuckled lowly. "Not gonna help."

"Mm... Andy likes you already and Teddy too. Don't worry. I'll protect you," her muffled voice informed him. Then she kissed the hand he had slung across her shoulder earlier, only to fall back asleep straight after.

The billionaire doubted Amy would ever remember having this conversation but he grinned, kissing her crown before trying to follow her example.

* * *

Meeting the Weasley clan overwhelmed Tony. Even if the inventor hadn't recently been traumatized, this particular experience would still have trumped any expectations he might have had.

It was like being steam-rolled by a crimson freight train without any prior warnings at topspeed.

When Amy drove them as far as the car could go, they needed to hike. She insisted on him holding his hand, otherwise some sort of spell would apparently be activated.

Security, in a sense.

Plus it added the bonus of having a good excuse for holding hands, which she liked to point out to him with a grin. Even after passing the 'wards'.

Quidditch was reminiscent of going to a rock-concert. Countless people were milling about in strange clothes, most either blue or red, depicting a stylized harpy or 'Menace'. Some additionally wore hats, scarves, gloves or other fan-insignia.

On their way to their designated meeting-point and seats, the couple passed several stands offering different fan-memorabilia or strange food which Tony never had seen before.

Amy had bought them matching Harpies-jerseys beforehand, trying to avoid any mass-panic because of her attendance today. (Apparently, she didn't want to steal Ginny's thunder.)

Now Tony got a feel for how their baseball-game must have been like for his girlfriend.

"Are you hungry?" Amy asked suddenly.

This was the memorable moment Tony Stark discovered the existence of Wizarding sweets.

If he had felt completely out of his depth earlier, those crazy, delicious treats made up for _everything_.

His minx laughed, ordering enough goodies to feed half an army (which they apparently '_needed_') and quickly paid by handing over a small golden credit card. Only a three-digit number had been engraved into the gold: 317.

"It's my main vault," his Wicked Witch explained when they were out of ear-shot.

"At Gringotts?" Tony asked curiously. He still processed everything she had told him about her world.

"Exactly," she nodded, before grinning: "Oh, there they are!"

Suddenly Amy was hug-tackled by someone very excited. It turned out to be Teddy who ambushed his godmother first. So Tony forced himself to relax again.

"Amaryllis, dear! You look beautiful. Although you could use some more meat on those bones of yours," a rather plump, ginger-haired woman exclaimed before embracing Amy so hard, the genius worried about the stability of his girlfriend's ribs.

Teddy grinned up at the engineer, showing off a missing tooth, while hugging his legs and waist.

"We missed you, Tony! Don't ever vanish like that again!" the blue-haired boy scolded him seriously before resuming his mad-mastermind-grin.

"I try not to, kiddo," said inventor promised with a fond smile for the young Lupin.

Teddy accepted his reply. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone. Aunt Mia and Grandma Molly are gonna fuss over Auntie Amy for a while," the pre-teen warned the genius conspiratorially.

Suddenly everyone focused on the two of them.

"Tony! It's so nice to see you again," Andromeda smiled. "We are so relieved to have you back home."

The inventor smiled gratefully albeit slightly nervously at the ex-Black. "Thank you for helping."

Apparently he had used the right words because all of a sudden, Molly Weasley embraced him.

"Now, now, dearie! We all wanted you back home safe and sound. No need to be shy," she patted his cheek gently.

Hermione smiled at Tony, greeting him next. "Bringing food always helped, too," the bushy-haired woman whispered mischievously.

Amy grinned impishly up at the genius who suddenly noticed the very diminished amount of sweets. Evidently she had freed herself out of the momma bear-hugs successfully, leaving her free to sling her arm around his hip.

Ron nodded at him. "It was a pleasure to help you. But if you break our Ames' heart, nobody is going to find your body. Understood?"

Tony swallowed the hysterical laughter threatening to break out but grinned nonetheless. The army of tall, intimidating, predominantly male redheads shifted to less tense postures and answered his easy grin.

"Good to see you again, mate," Ron shook his hand. "Now that's his 'Holiness', George."

"The prankster?" Tony checked. Amy had gone over everyone once again on the drive here, just so he would not feel too overwhelmed by all of those soulless gingers.

The one-eared man grinned. "The same."

Tony decided to follow her advice, causing him to automatically retort: "Nice ear."

George laughed. "Oh, I believe we'll get along just fine, mate."

"Don't corrupt him, Weasley!" Amy sighed when everyone in their vicinity laughed. "Pepper is so going to kill me when she gets wind of this."

Laughing, Ron and George dragged him off, led by an overly excited Teddy.

Therefore Tony met Percy (who he didn't quite like), Charlie, a real dragon-tamer with the burns and muscles to prove it, Dean and Bill in quick succession.

After a repetition of a much more intimidating threat on his male anatomy as well as life from a fragile-looking, pregnant French supermodel (which honestly had nothing on Amy's beauty, in his opinion), Tony somehow found himself sitting smack in the middle of a sea of gingers, all cheering for their little sister who flew a few practice-rounds around the stadium. On her _broomstick_.

How had this become his life again?

Ah, yes. Tony had fallen in love with a mysterious Brit who secretly is a witch, saved her home-country if not the world and doubles as this great role-model for doctors worldwide.

Despite the absolutely ridiculous madness, the inventor realized he enjoyed himself.

The game's excited atmosphere was contagious, taking him along.

Although Tony thought Amy's Quidditch-obsession a little exaggerated before, the genius seriously needed to revise his opinion after this friendly.

This sport turned out as something awesome. If he could, Tony would have played it too. The speed, danger and heights provided everything an adrenaline-junkie needed to survive.

Amy laughed when she saw his entranced expression. "Remember, you can't 'invent' anything like this," she whispered in his ear over the roaring crowd.

Tony honestly did _not_ pout. At all.

* * *

So maybe the genius couldn't relate to anything other than dressing robes when confronted with strange, dress-like robes on males nor broom-riding or owl-delivery or Cauldron CakesTM.

Maybe he still couldn't understand Wizarding customs nor their secret society.

But the genius was able to understand why Amy loved the Weasleys so much. Why she hadn't turned her back on them all completely, after all the hurt and pain this world caused her.

Especially when he watched her jokingly give chase after Teddy and Victoire, before cuddling with eleven months old Rose, her other godchild.

His Wicked Witch was a natural leader, yes, but also their favorite auntie.

Even though Tony didn't realize it, but the soft, smitten look on his face whenever Amy came into his sight saved the genius from the original prank planned by the 'overprotective prat-brigade'.


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** don't own anything you recognize.

* * *

Sorry but this is another fast-forward filler chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Love, W

PS: Check out **Reunion** which I'll post after this chapter. (;

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

* * *

Moving in with Tony Stark steered Amy's previously comparative boring, work-filled existence into new lukewarm to hot waters.

Over the following weeks and months, it became less and less unusual to experience such situations as these:

* * *

Having just Apparated home from a short trip to Potter Manor after work, Amy started when she heard a low _BOOM_ coming from the basement where Tony continued to work on 'something big'. (In which case she maintained that ignorance was bliss, although the witch always listened to Tony's excited rambling.)

Instantly worry coursed through her. Grabbing her wand tightly, the Healer hurried downstairs, still dressed in her work-clothes.

JARVIS dutifully unlocked the door for the witch, allowing her quick access to the lab.

"Tony! What the hell did you do? Are you okay?" Amy exclaimed, still concerned.

A low groan coming from behind some shop drawers answered that question.

One of the robots/AIs - which the ravenette still mixed up at times - had just doused the inventor with foam fresh out of an industrial fire extinguisher. (She was kind of proud Tony considered the potential health hazard at all.)

At least the Healer now knew where in the vast garage her boyfriend was hidden.

Tony dripped with foam, metal boots heavy on his feet, a small gash on his head bleeding sluggishly.

Amy sighed, relieved he had not accidentally cut off a limb or blown up something vital. "What happened?"

"Hit the wall. Too much power," Tony grunted out, breathing a bit harsher than usual.

"Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?" the doc in her asked concerned, in lieu of inquiring what the heck he meant by 'too much power'.

_Remember, ignorance is bliss, Potter_, a voice sounding suspiciously similar to McGonagall's advised.

Tony shook his head. "No concussion, I think. Dummy just loves the fire extinguisher too much," he replied.

Amy carefully helped him to an upright sitting position. "Alright. I just heard the impact when I came home. Sit _still_. I'm only going to clean out the scratch on your temple."

Reluctantly, her boyfriend complied, allowing her to take care of him. She left a (labeled accordingly) mild Bruising Balm and Scar Soother on his desk, just in case.

By now the Brit had learned how stubborn Tony was in regards to asking for help with his mostly self-inflicted injuries.

* * *

That stunt was actually rather mild compared to what her mad scientist managed to inflict with 'harmless flight stabilizers'.

Amy had just brought him a fresh cup of coffee and the magically tested, new arc reactor (which he had handed over to her two days ago for examination) in order to escape Stane's already overbearing presence in the living room.

After ten hours of hard work, she could allow herself _some_ leeway, couldn't she?

"Hey, Gorgeous, what do ya want?" Tony asked, sending a warm smile her way before focusing back on tinkering with the arm-thingie.

"Here is the reactor you gave me. According to JARVIS it still works flawlessly. Plus, Mr. Stane is in the living room with important, 'work-related' news for you. He also brought back pizza of some kind," the Healer reported carefully nonchalant, placing the magically-approved device and coffee mug on an empty spot on the cluttered table.

"I'll be up in a sec. Just wanna test this," the genius replied absentmindedly, aiming loosely to his left and hitting a button on the desk.

A blast of white energy shot out, the backlash throwing him backwards into some metallic cupboards, while simultaneously destroying an overstuffed shelf to her left.

Immediately the ravenette helped him back up, worrying about potential injuries. (Somehow that became a constant over the last weeks.) She hadn't been hit by any debris. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't expect this outcome," the inventor muttered contemplatively, dusting himself off carelessly.

The witch sighed, acknowledging relieved that he hadn't been hurt or at least not seriously enough to warrant medical attention.

"What in the world are you _tinkering_ on? I thought you were done with the whole weapons manufacturing?" she asked, unable to completely quash her curiosity after all.

Tony gave her a large grin, happy to know she cared. Besides, he seemed very proud of his latest invention. "_That_, Gorgeous, is a flight stabilizer. Not as harmless as I anticipated but you get the picture."

"I do," Amy admitted reluctantly, slightly confused. "What would you need them for though?"

"Can we talk later? Not when Obadiah is upstairs with New York pizza and Pepper itching to run down, wondering if we're decent?"

For a moment the doc mulled over the options. Noticing his sincere joy in sharing and genuine willingness to talk, she decided to concede to his request for now. "Alright. But you'll really tell me?"

Tony rolled his eyes affectionately at the slightly insecure note in her voice. "Yes, I will. The truth, too."

* * *

When the genius finally opened up to her about his idea on how to atone for his sins, Amy was torn between a massive amount of pride and an overwhelming fear for his safety.

"So, you are building a weaponized armor, sorry, suit, to take down bad guys in order to better the world?" the witch rephrased, conflicted emotions warring in her voice.

Tony seemed disappointed she wasn't jumping up and down in joy. "I thought you'd be more supportive of that considering your history."

The Healer sighed deeply, sitting down next to him on the gigantic couch. (They had ordered in Chinese, while Tony insisted on a classic-movies-marathon.) Her boyfriend automatically pulled the ravenette close.

"Look, I'm proud you want to change the world for the better. And I'll always have your back, no matter what crappy situation we've landed ourselves in. Alright?" Amy amended, tone softening enough to indicate her sincerity but retaining some sharpness to show her seriousness. "However, you just got back, Black Sabbath, and I don't want to lose you because of some terrorist organization that you pissed off. Trust me, they'll hunt you your entire life for revenge."

"So you're just worried about my safety, not against me doing this?" her favorite mad scientist reiterated, obviously seeking reassurance.

The Healer nodded slowly. She really didn't want to lose another loved one for the Greater Good. "Like I said, I'm proud you decided to try and change your old ways. Not happy you are endangering yourself though. Although I realize I can't stop this either way."

However, Tony dismissed the last part, kissing her deeply. "Thanks, Gorgeous."

"For what?" the witch retorted, honestly confused. "I'd be a major hypocrite if I'd told you to stay home. There's only one request from my side: don't get yourself killed. Or two, really. Don't get killed and ask for medical help if you are injured while saving the world. Deal?"

Her boyfriend agreed quickly. He probably sensed how important this was for retaining her remaining sanity. "Deal. Thanks for not freaking out."

"No promises on that. I'll probably yell at you for a long time if you're overly reckless," Amy half-joked, half-warned her boyfriend.

He chuckled but agreed.

So that was that.

* * *

One day at work in the new clinic (which Amy secretly enjoyed very much), she was approached by a familiar dark-blonde, suit-wearing man the moment the ravenette finished signing out.

This supposedly boring business man happened to be anything but.

"Dr. Potter-Black? May I have a minute of your time?" the suit asked politely.

Sighing, Amy steered him towards her empty office. Hanging her coat back up, the witch sat down, inviting the agent to follow her example.

"What can I do for you today, Agent Coulson?" the Brit inquired politely.

Said man calmly declined any offers of food or beverage, before replying: "The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division needs to debrief Mr. Stark about the details of his escape two months ago."

Immediately the Healer adopted an even blanker expression. "Why are you meeting with me then?"

Agent Coulson seemed to x-ray her with his cool blue eyes. Although after enduring years of Dumbledore doing the same, it had lost it's intimidating touch on the ravenette. "Because we suspect that Mr. Stark has confided in you. However, I expect you to refuse to tell me about his secrets."

Here Amy nodded a wordless, decisive confirmation.

"Nonetheless, Dr. Potter-Black, we hoped you would be willing to mention a convenient time for a meeting in the near future to Miss Potts. She has promised to pencil me in her books before the press-conference, albeit forgetting due to Mr. Stark's shocking revelation, I'm sure."

The Healer contemplated his formal words for a moment. "I am going to mention it to her. Although I do not suspect much will change, unless you manage to convince Tony," she finally conceded.

"Thank you, Doctor," Coulson replied. "Additionally Director Fury wishes to know about any new information regarding the ambush on your person in New York five months ago."

Amy sighed tiredly, a hand running through her loosened hair. At least the Pirate worried about national safety hazards.

"As you undoubtedly know if you have read my report, the American Auror Corps was working closely with Head Auror Weasley, apprehending and identifying the perpetrators quickly. They all have been successfully imprisoned," she began, occasionally sipping from her water.

"Moreover, my guard has been doubled, although I wish Tony was better protected. My New York residence has been vacated within two days post attack, long before Tony asked me to move in. Furthermore the potential situation will be monitored closely by both Head Auror Weasley and Auror Edwards, the Second-in-Command of the New Yorker Corps. Plus the American Wizarding government has sharpened the immigration laws once more in order to protect all civilians' safety."

"I imagine they will act swiftly in case another attack occurs?" Coulson asked, very mild concern showing through.

This reaction actually rectified his major fault - his job - in Amy's eyes.

"Yes. If someone actually managed to succeed in killing me, a magical world war would soon follow," the witch admitted with a hint of sheepishness and embarrassment about her own fame peaking through her aloof mask.

Coulson stayed for another twenty-five minutes, calmly asking questions in regards to her personal and national safety. It almost seemed as if the blonde actually cared.

* * *

That same evening when she came home, Amy was confronted by a hole in the roof, first floor (sadly leading straight through the elaborate, beautiful grand piano) and hearing the tell-tale 'whoosh' of the fire-extinguisher from the lab.

Maybe it was a sign of the utter madness her life had become that she actually flawlessly identified the sound by now.

Deciding that whatever trouble Tony managed to get into this time could not ruin her day either, the ravenette hurried to the basement, mentally revising everything she had learned about concussions, burns, amputations...

Actually the more gruesome, the better.

This way she wouldn't flip her top at Tony because he had not managed to surpass her worst fears. (Another tactic the witch learned so as to keep her blood pressure at reasonable levels.)

"Anthony Stark?! - What the _hell_!" Amy exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at her mad scientist/boyfriend who currently tried to stand.

One expensive car had been totaled, while the rest beeped irritatingly loud.

Okay, so maybe Tony managed to at least turn this otherwise completely uneventful day into something _interesting_ with his shenanigans.

The doused metallic suit she strongly suspected her boyfriend inhabited at the moment somehow appeared slightly contrite and majorly smug.

"I can fly!" Tony informed her excitedly.

Amy sighed, accepting this as the truth. "Did you literally 'fly' through the damn roof?"

Something clicked and the faceplate lifted, revealing the inventor's smug smirk. "No. I miscalculated the effect gravity would have on the suit's weight when the repulsors were shut off. In my defense, I overestimated the wall's sturdiness and the adrenaline addled my brain."

For a moment Amy couldn't speak. "You _miscalculated_ the effect a heavy metallic suit would have on the walls? What were you doing to reach _those_ levels of adrenaline?"

Judging by his relatively easy acquiescence, Tony either deliberately not misunderstood her tone or he remembered all too well how proficient she is at kicking guys in the twelve.

Probably the second option.

"I _might_ have been trying to correct a height record, involuntarily free-falling due to potentially fatal ice built-up which I will _definitely_ have to correct in the next suit and, you know, possibly only survived because I cracked the ice off myself manually?" the genius rushed out, some of his smugness disappearing quite quickly.

"What. Were. You. _Thinking_? JARVIS has he tested the suit before taking off?" Amy asked, anger and fear mixing in her stomach.

"I can neither deny nor confirm this question, Miss Amaryllis," the AI politely replied.

Which amounted to a confirmation anyway, each occupant of the shop knew.

"Seriously, Tony! You could have _killed_ yourself!" the Healer yelled, trying to ignore all the scenarios flashing through her mind of just that situation.

However, her unrepentant boyfriend evidently needed to point out something vital: "But I didn't!"

"No - due to sheer dumb _luck_!" Amy retorted forcefully.

Suddenly she felt a new depth of appreciation for her best friends, teachers and family. Was this how they felt about her going off on adventures?

The witch tapped his metallic head a bit harsher than she probably should. Maybe the pain would affect her boyfriend's mental capacities positively?

"How often do I need to tell you that I don't want to lose you, you prat? If you could have seen Pepper or your friend Rhodey after your disappearance...! There are a lot of people who genuinely care about you, Tony. How do you think they'd feel if something happened to you?" Amy bit out before leaving so she could escape his incredulous look and cry.

Merlin, she had really turned into a melodramatic bitch.

* * *

Sometime later, Tony - carrying several ice packs on his person - found her in the dark corner of their walk-in closet. (Yes, they had begun to share.)

Thankfully he didn't turn on the light; his portable torch was enough to dispel most of the dark. Instead of saying something, the inventor sat next to her, scooting closer. Amy allowed him to put his arm around her shoulders.

"You crying?" Tony asked hoarsely.

This question simply evoked a quiet snort from the Brit.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," the genius managed after a little pause.

"'s alright," the witch waved off. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay. No one cared enough to yell at me before," Tony explained very quietly.

The Healer sighed. "For ten years of my life, I slept in the cupboard under the stairs." At least now her boyfriend knew why she had hidden in here.

"Howard never told me he loved or liked me," Tony carefully admitted.

Amy sighed again, leaning into his side. "Before I went to school I thought my name was 'girl' or 'freak'. Interspersed with 'ungrateful brat'."

"Maria spent all of her time shopping, sleeping with strangers and parties," the genius countered in a hoarse whisper.

Despite her earlier anger, the witch leaned into her boyfriend's side. "When I was five the Dursleys decided I should begin to pull my weight. Starting with small chores, like weeding or mowing the lawn to cooking. Just like their own little, free-of-charge house-elf."

"From day one, I was bullied in school," the inventor continued. "Someone always messed with my locker, clothes or work."

"They locked me in the cupboard for accidental magic, punishment and starved me. When I was eleven, they gave me Dudley's second bedroom. They put bars on the windows when I was twelve. Later Vernon installed a cat-flap, several locks and always denied me my magical possessions," Amy admitted almost inaudibly. "I have never told anyone about it."

Tony pulled her in his lap. "Is that why you are so tiny?"

However, the Healer only shrugged - he could feel the movement - and nodded. "Possibly. My mother was 5' 5" and my dad topped six feet. Due to the malnutrition I never grew over 5 feet, I can hardly gain weight and I probably won't be able to carry a baby to term, according to Hannah."

For a moment silence reigned in the closet. Obviously Tony tried to process this new information without blowing up on her behalf.

The witch gently forced him to look into her eyes, illuminated by the blue glow from his current arc reactor.

"When I went on my little adventures, there was no one at home who cared if I survived or not. That's why I flipped out. You have people here that don't want you to get hurt. Please try to remember that," the ravenette continued, voice no longer shaking but firm.

Tony kissed her gently. "I love you too, sweetheart."

"Good. Otherwise this would be a very embarrassing situation," the Brit joked half-heartedly. "Plus this who-had-the-worst-childhood-shitting-contest would end with my knee in a very uncomfortable spot."

Her bemused boyfriend unrepentantly grinned against her lips. "C'mon. We're going out tonight. I have to show you off and a party to crash."

Rolling her eyes in fond exasperation, Amy allowed him to carry her to the bathroom for a steamy shower.

That night ended with Tony blowing up conjured dummies that bore a not so unremarkable resemblance to Obadiah Stane.

Amy helpfully conjured (with a slightly worrying degree of unholy glee) as many as he needed to calm down enough to talk about whatever bugged him.

* * *

About a week later Amy came home to find a steaming mad Pepper pacing in her study.

"Did you know that Tony managed to built a suit with which he apparently _hunted down terrorists_ to rescue a small town in _Afghanistan_?" the redhead bit out, more forcefully than absolutely necessary.

It very closely bordered on an accusation.

"Was he hurt?" the Brit asked immediately.

"No!" Pepper exclaimed, clearly annoyed. "Did. You. _Know_?"

Despite feeling hurt by Pepper's tone, the witch only sighed. "I knew he was working on a suit, yes. Although I didn't have a clue that he was rescuing small towns or villages from terrorists. We didn't exactly discuss that last night," she added sarcastically.

"Seriously! How could you just allow Tony to get himself killed?" the redhead self-righteously accused the Healer.

If you looked hard enough one could maybe detect a bit of steam coming out of her ears. Merlin, she was mad.

Amy focused on the furious PA, trying to keep her cool. This conversation had been born out of genuine worry for their resident genius, she reminded herself.

"Pepper, how long have you been working for Tony now? He doesn't budge an inch if he decided on something, remember? So I won't stand in his way. Instead I'll yell at him when necessary, patch him up after whatever this week's painful shenanigan turns out to be and trust him to not get himself killed. Try to keep him from too dangerous crap, so long as I can," the ravenette informed the other woman.

This calm, reasonable explanation stopped the redhead in her tracks, but only for a moment. Surprised, Pepper stared at the Brit. "You _agree_ with this insanity?"

"I will continue to support his decision to try and save innocents, yes," the Healer confirmed coolly. "Does it appear to you as if I'm jumping up and down in joy? You're _not_ the only one worrying about his safety. But this way Tony at least talks to me about his injuries instead of hiding them."

However, the PA finally seemed to calm down. "Thank you."

"For what?" Amy questioned, a little brusque.

Pepper sighed. "Being there for Tony. I'm sorry for attacking you, letting out my frustrations on you. You're right, I'm worried."

"I know," the witch smiled slightly. "So it's okay."

"How about I'll make it up to you by taking you out for lunch some time?" the PA suggested. "Ginny told me a few very interesting stories."

Amy's face relaxed again. "Sounds fair. Unfortunately I can't go out for lunch this week. One of my colleagues has taken all of her vacation time at once and I double for her. So maybe we could do a girl's night out in a few days or something?"

"Sure. I haven't had one of those in a long time," Pepper agreed. "It's a date then."

* * *

Life at the Malibu Mansion certainly never got dull or boring. However, in four days, life would get even more exciting.

Probably too exciting for our favorite heroine's tastes.


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Je n'ai pas le doits pour L'Avengers ou Harry Potter. (I do not own the rights to the Avengers nor Harry Potter)

* * *

The requested action is coming up... Now! Enjoy!  
PS: I received a seriously staggering amount of suggestions on how Amy can have a kid with or without Tony. Patience, people! They are not ready for a child, in my opinion, but that may or may not change over the course of this story. (I wouldn't mention it without a potentially mean/amusing/dramatic plan in the back of my mind, would I?)

* * *

**Chapter 18: **

* * *

Four days later, Tony was fixing the last bullet holes in the breastplate of Mark II when Pepper entered his workshop.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't quit this instant, Mr. Stark," the redhead demanded, sounding tired and slightly hopeful.

Surprised, the inventor turned around. "Miss Potts?"

"Please, Tony."

"You want to quit _now_, after finally I'm beginning to get my shit together? After standing behind me for years while I produced increasingly deadlier weapons that killed thousands of people?" the genius questioned, disbelief, betrayal and anger mixing in his voice. "Pep, you're like an older sister/mother-hybrid I never had. This is my second chance at life, to atone for everything I've done. I shouldn't have survived that attack on the convoy in Afghanistan, but I did. During those three months, I thought a lot about what my purpose in life was. I couldn't find anything specific, looking back. Now I finally know what I want to do: the right thing."

Unexpectedly, Pepper smiled - relieved. "Thank you, Tony. I just wanted to make sure this was the right decision."

The inventor sighed, accepting the relief when he deduced this had been a test by his PA he had passed. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Why are you asking?" the redhead questioned slightly concerned.

If Tony Stark asked for a favor it had to be a huge, almost definitely dangerous one.

"I think Obi* is behind the double-dealing. You need to plug this locked chip into my computer at the company. You're the only one that can, at least without attracting unwanted attention," the engineer rummaged through a box, selecting the sleek stick.

However, Pepper hesitated slightly, not taking the offered device. "What will you do in case this confirms Obadiah is behind the double-dealing?"

Tony gave her a wry smile. "Unless it's absolutely necessary, I won't kill him. (Which, strangely enough, didn't quite reassure Pepper.) I just want to know for certain and destroy my weapons. It's _my_ company, _my_ name on the building."

Accepting his response, the PA took the black electronic article. "Why Obadiah? It could be anyone from the board," she argued valiantly. Pepper was simply curious for Tony's changed opinion of his surrogate father. "Because of how he treated Amaryllis?"

The genius ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "No. He is a touch too fixated on the reactor for comfort. It's just a hunch."

Contemplating this, the redhead nodded, reluctantly agreeing with the first statement. She had been present when Obadiah persisted on analyzing the arc reactor in Tony's chest after all.

"Besides, Amy can't stand him. I trust her instincts. If something happens, don't argue or question her. She'll protect you," the billionaire replied, trying to reinforce the seriousness behind this statement with his eyes.

The reference to his girlfriend caused Pepper to smile slightly. "We are meeting later for a few drinks. Girl's night out."

"I know," the inventor grinned. "She mentioned it before leaving this morning."

Well, the redhead couldn't argue with that, could she?

Before Afghanistan it had been a poor joke by Obadiah, but Pepper asked herself if she shouldn't start looking into engagement rings for Tony, in case he needed suggestions. Quite obviously Amy was here to stay.

"Would that be all, Mr. Stark?" the PA asked, genuinely smiling at the image of small dark-haired, emerald-eyed babies in her mind. Maybe she was getting ahead of them (and herself), but they'd be so effing _adorable_.

Tony seemed to notice her slight inattentiveness, because he just gave her another relieved grin.

"Yes, that would be all, Miss Potts."

* * *

Tony finished working on the suit a few hours after Pepper's short visit. He wanted to examine something on the magically-tested arc reactor, having had an epiphany in regards to protecting himself against spells, so he exchanged the newer one for the old, non-tested version.

The engineer was in the middle of running several scans on the reactor when he heard his phone ringing.

JARVIS calmly informed him that said phone had been left in the living room upstairs after last night's binge movie session.

Tony glimpsed the name on the display - Pepper Potts - before he suddenly couldn't move anymore.

For only a moment, there was an annoying, nerve-grating _sirring_ sound, popping one of his ear drums. All of his muscles tensed at once, both of his ears were hurting like a bitch.

Of course the inventor recognized one of his discarded toys when confronted with it.

The Paralyzer.

For fifteen minutes, anyone targeted would not be able to move, allowing the offender to do as he or she pleased. Tony had invented it as an alternative to pepper spray, because Pepper had been propositioned once by an eager stranger, after a benefit, but the government had not approved it for mass production. Ironically on the grounds that it could easily be used for too many 'less noble' reasons.

_But the Board apparently kept the prototypes,_ the scientist thought angrily.

His skin crawled wherever Obi-_Stane_ touched him.

During Ob- Stane's arrogant, creepy monologue, the genius could only think about Pepper and Amy's safety. He hoped to heaven that they were safe from his ex-family friend's madness. Tony regretted putting them in even more danger.

However, he also knew that it was stupid to think like this - at least in regards to his girlfriend. Amy could take care of herself.

Well, that was before Stane cut out the one physical thing keeping him alive.

The arc reactor.

For just a second Tony was incredibly grateful for wanting to run scans on the new one which Stane thankfully knew nothing about. This way his Wicked Witch could easily fry him if Obadiah was stupid enough to try something with either Pepper or Amy.

God, the inventor would _pay_ to see his irate girlfriend give Stane the honor of first-hand knowledge of her secret.

Nevertheless, the sharp sting of betrayal hit him deeply. It was cutting through every single memory of his mentor that he had cherished up until now.

Tony wanted to scream his throat hoarse, to hit or blow up more of those dummies.

It was one thing to suspect someone one had looked to as a surrogate father. _Knowing_ that same person _had_ _paid to kill him_, had used him and thrown him away like a dirty rag, was something entirely different.

Then Stane mentioned a prototype. A 'less-conservative' prototype.

What in the fucking blazes of hell was this mad man planning? World-domination? Besides killing Pepper and Amy, ripping his heart out and destroying Tony Stark?

* * *

As soon as Tony could use his mouth again, he ordered JARVIS: "Prepare the reactor downstairs for me. I need to get down there as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir. Am I supposed to call Miss Amaryllis?"

"No, she is with Pepper right now," the genius argued, quickly running through her schedule and the time mentioned for their girl's night out. "So Amy can't Apparate. It would be too suspicious."

"As you wish, sir," his AI replied, a definite note of disapproval and disappointment ringing clear in his tone.

Then, painfully slowly, Tony regained the control over his other limbs. Sweat beaded his temple, pouring from every pore due to the adrenaline coursing through his sluggish body.

He needed to survive.

He needed the other reactor, the one Amy had tested for him, to survive.

He needed to make sure Pepper and Amy were safe.

All of his self-preservation instincts screamed at him to set one barely moving foot in front of the other. JARVIS had already prepared the material elevator for him.

Step.

Breath.

Step.

Clinging to the walls or different objects on the way, Tony somehow made it into the metallic lift upright.

Time was running against him. If he didn't get the reactor in place soon, it wouldn't matter anymore. His heart would have been shredded by the remaining shrapnel pieces.

Step.

Breath. Breath.

Step.

_Falter. _

Tony fell down, knowing his strength was rapidly declining. For only fractions of a second, he considered himself above crawling.

_You promised! You promised not to get killed!_ the inventor yelled at himself.

So the engineer swallowed his pride, crawling, pushing himself towards his desk where the shiny device stood, practically mocking him.

_C'mon! Just a little further._

God this hurt. Like. Hell.

Then he reached the fucking too-high table with the last of his remaining strength, powered only by his sheer stubbornness. With the arc reactor in sight, Tony lost his balance, sliding off the table, onto the floor.

If he could have, the genius would have cried.

_So this is it? This is how I'm gonna die?_

However, for all his flaws and simple program, Dummy - of all possible bots or people - offered him the stand on which he had placed his 'magic-reactor'.

Tony awkwardly secured the reactor in the chest cavity before passing out from the pain.

* * *

The next thing the engineer was aware of did not include the coldness of the grey floor or how silent it was.

It happened to be Rhodey's voice, calling his name with increasing alarm. Apparently, his best friend had overcome whatever issues remaining between them, checking up on him.

Unfortunately, Tony couldn't move, couldn't answer, couldn't do _anything_ but lying there on the fucking floor, waiting to be found.

All the while his brain conjured images of torture, real, fresh from Afghanistan, or imaginary, born in his darkest nightmares.

He _needed_ to make sure that Pepper and Amy were safe.

He needed to contain Stane, or kill him if he was too far gone to admit defeat.

Even after his confession, Tony still balked at the idea of actually following through with that. Obi and Stane were the same person, but one he loved like a father or mentor, while the other he hated passionately.

"Tony! You okay?" Rhodey asked, holding the pale engineer tightly. Tony thought he might hug him any second now.

_So he still cared? _

"Where's Pepper and Amy?" the genius somehow managed, voice very strained.

"They're with five agents, at the company," his military liaison reported, evidently trying for comforting.

God, he must look like shit if even _Rhodey_ handled him with kid gloves.

However, Tony knew those agents would never be enough. Amy could probably use magic if only Pepper was around to see it in case Stane attacked. She could teleport them back here. If five other people were with them...

Well, he had his answer on why they were still out.

"Not gonna be enough," the inventor grunted out, allowing Rhodey to heave him up, off the floor.

This was his mess, he had to clean it up.

"JARVIS, assemble the suit. _Now_!"

* * *

Tony was praying that he wasn't too late.

This chest piece had not been designed for the Mark II. Of course he had tinkered on it, but some components of the improved reactor worked against a few of the suit's functions. Which was why the genius had tried to scan it earlier.

"JARVIS, run diagnostics. I need to know how the chest piece works with the armor. Keep me posted," the genius ordered, mind already running through several scenarios in preparation of the fight against Stane's prototype he was sure would come.

"Call Pepper. Amy left her phone at home," the scientist added after a moment.

"_Tony? Tony! Are you okay?_" his loyal PA asked, obviously frantic. So she was still alive. Which meant his girlfriend lived too, probably.

Maybe he still had enough time.

"I'm fine. What about you and Amy?" the genius replied, knowing if the ravenette heard him, she would never believe his words. However, he needed to calm Pepper down, to get her away.

"_Obadiah! He's gone insane...!_" said redhead cried into the phone.

"I know," the inventor hurried to reply. God, since when had his PA been this stubborn? "You get outta there right _now_. Tell Amy to go back to the house the fastest she can. To hell with the Statue!"

For a moment his heart stopped when the smooth, accented voice of his girlfriend replied: "I'll make sure she's safe, Black Sabbath. Don't get yourself killed!"

Then he heard the sickening crunch of something breaking.

_Almost there._

"_Where do you think you two are going?_" a mechanic voice demanded.

It was too late.

_He_ was too late, the suit too slow.

Tony Stark, brilliant businessman, had failed.

"_Miss Potts, your services are no longer required-_" the same mechanic voice continued.

_No giving up, Stark! _the scientist told himself.

Putting an extra energy boost into the thrusters, Tony tackled the black abomination Stane had created.

For a while there was only metallic on metallic, screaming, screeching tires, a blur of colors.

Then an epic fight began.

In a suit which ran out of energy too quickly due to the extra force-field created to keep himself safe from magic.

* * *

"Potts! Amy! I need one of you to release the excess energy of the main arc reactor!" our favorite billionaire, genius, ex-playboy, philanthropist ordered shortly. For once hoping either of the two headstrong women obeyed without a fuss.

After ripping out the targeting system of Stane's monstrous suit, Tony was suspended on the destroyed roof, holding onto a beam for dear life.

Literally.

While the man he had looked up to as a surrogate father fired missiles at him.

If this wasn't fucked up, he didn't know what was.

"Push the button!" Tony shouted downwards to where his two favorite women were fumbling with the switches, desperation slowly creeping into his voice.

"But you'll _die_!" Pepper protested frantically, arguing even in the face of almost certain death.

However, the scientist would die for sure if they didn't activate the fucking thing. "_Push it!_"

So Amy seemed to do it, understanding the odds better than Pepper.

Besides, she appeared to have a plan. Out of the corners of his eye, the genius noticed something suspiciously stick-like poking out of her trench coat's right sleeve. Maybe he could survive tonight after all.

A white hot blast of energy was released into the night sky, mercilessly frying Stane in his suit, killing him painfully but quickly.

Some invisible force ripped Tony out of the way in the last moment, saving him from the same fate.

_Magic_.

Lord knows, he appreciated his Wicked Witch even more in this particular moment.

Pepper screamed his name, too freaked out to care about her usual cool mask.

Amy remained quiet, as far as the genius could tell anyway, suddenly appearing next to him. Her enchanting emerald eyes glowed powerfully in the darkness.

Dangerously – for their enemies, never him.

Then slowly his world faded out into black nothingness, the too many attempts on his life taking their toll on his battered body.

* * *

When Tony woke up again, fully conscious, he found himself lying in their bed, at Malibu Mansion. His injuries had been magically treated, the inventor surmised, because they felt almost healed.

Pepper sat on a chair by his side, reading over something on her Stark Industries notebook. Happy stood by the door, smiling slightly at his boss.

Where was Amy?

"Good, you're awake," the redhead stated, voice carefully blank.

"Hey, Pep," the genius replied automatically, still waiting for his girlfriend to appear. His voice still sounded strained.

"Sir, it is good to have you back. You have slept for twenty hours, recuperating after Miss Amaryllis cared for your injuries," JARVIS announced in his cool British accent.

"Thanks, J," Tony muttered. "Where is she?"

"An Agent Coulson wished to debrief her on the events leading to Obadiah Stane's death," Pepper replied, instead of his AI. "They seemed to know each other well."

The inventor grimaced, remembering something about a top secret organization keeping tabs on his girlfriend. "Blonde, unemotional type?"

"Yes," Happy confirmed calmly. Why was he here, keeping watch by the door?

"Urgh," the billionaire groaned. "Amy told me about him. He's supposedly okay for a suit."

For a moment silence reigned. It was very awkward, because nobody wanted to come out and simply say whatever they were thinking.

"How did you survive? Amaryllis didn't push the button but it killed Ob- Stane. Only you should have been dead too," Pepper questioned, tone not brooking an argument.

As if on cue, the bedroom door opened, revealing Amy and Agent Coulson. Immediately the redhead put on an expressionless mask – or as expressionless as Pepper ever could be.

"I'm afraid, Dr. Potter-Black will have to explain this herself," the agent said, motioning to the ravenette.

When it looked like Amy wanted to sit down next to Tony, Pepper glared at her until she moved away.

"I thought you pushed the button," Tony said, breaking the tension-filled silence.

His girlfriend gave him a strained smile. "No, I...lost it. When the bloody bastard shot missiles at you, my control slipped. As soon as I realized that, I pushed the button."

"So you moved me out of the way?" the engineer questioned, never allowing Pepper time to open her mouth and demand answers.

Amy nodded. "Of course! Why would I allow the electricity to kill you too? I told you, I'd have your back whenever, didn't I?"

Tony grinned, satisfied to know he had planted a certain seed of doubt in his PA's mind.

Said woman was really riled up by now, though. "What the heck are you talking about? How is it that when you lose control, an industrial-sized _arc reactor_ explodes?"

* * *

* FYI that's actually the name of a chain of hardware stores in Germany. It's funny to call a person that.


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I don't own or profit from anything you recognize.

* * *

Listening to German hip-hop at the moment. Not really my usual style but it's better than silence... If you wanna try it some time find 'Sido - Bilder I'm Kopf' (the title means 'pictures in my head') on YouTube. It's an alright song even if you don't understand the lyrics.

Love, W

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

* * *

"How is it that when you lose control an industrial-sized _arc reactor _explodes?" Pepper demanded, clearly frustrated about being ignored.

Amy blushed, a bit embarrassed about still occasionally exhibiting accidental magic. (Usually wizards or witches controlled their gift better than that at twenty-six.) "My magic fried one of the important switches and that caused the energy to be released. Because I didn't use it often, it was close to the surface anyway."

For a moment the redhead gaped at Amy, seemingly fighting with herself. "You have magic?"

It didn't sound disbelieving or accusatory, just a simple question to ascertain a fact.

"Yes. I am what we refer to as a witch," the Healer confirmed bluntly, hoping this time she wouldn't lose a friend. By the looks of things, this particular fear was unfounded.

Accordingly, Pepper blinked, once, twice, then nodded decisively. "Well that explains a few things. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Apparently she had seen or heard worse from her boss before if this admission didn't faze her.

Tony grinned at his girlfriend, happy that no problems would exist any between one of his best friends and the woman he loved. Relieved, Amy smiled right back.

"It's one of our laws, called the Statue of Secrecy. We're supposed to never show ourselves to mundane people unless it's a life or death-situation. Even then, to avoid a mass-panic, the magical governments sent out specially-trained agents to wipe people's memories. If you are married or engaged to be married it's alright to tell too, although some partners tend to share medieval world views on some occasions," the ravenette explained patiently.

For a moment no one talked, although Agent Coulson and Tony regarded her calculatingly, just imagining what this meant for any children sired in such an abusive relationship.

In First Year, Amy hadn't laughed when Seamus had told them about his dad's easy acceptance. The Healer had known all too well what happened to the less-fortunate ones. If only her aunt had been a little less resentful, the Brit might actually have enjoyed her so-called childhood outside of Hogwarts.

"So when did you find out?" Pepper asked the room in general.

Tony sighed self-deprecatingly. He probably still berated himself for reacting as violently as he had, judging by his look. "New York, the day before my flight to Afghanistan. Some old '_pals_' from Moldyshorts or whatever showed up in front of Amy's apartment building. Complete with the whole hopelessly oldfashioed villain-garb."

"I found out the same day. Miss Amaryllis fully explained her childhood to us, including pictures and a small demonstration," Happy added neutrally.

This evoked a small pout from the redhead who only perked up after Amy promised to show her the pictures later, in a quiet minute. When this whole ordeal was dealt with.

Agent Coulson sent a meaningful look in the Brit's direction. "Why have you not informed us of this development?"

"Because, frankly it was none of your business who knows about my gift. I had to report it to the American Magical Government and the Ministry in Britain, but after paying a small fine it was put ad acta," the witch countered confidently.

She highly disliked authority figures that tried to exert control over her. Which is why Amy had refused any and all attempts at putting her down for the so-called 'Avengers Iniative' by Director Fury. After all, she had been hardly in the mental position for getting more violent, supernatural crap thrown at her when she immigrated.

Additionally, the witch had been fed up with manipulating, old(er) bastards and saving the world anyway.

It was much less rewarding than one would think.

In any case, her poor Mungos-assigned therapist could hardly deal with her childhood problems.

"There are magical governments separate from the regular ones?" Pepper questioned, sounding mildly surprised.

Tony rolled his eyes in Amy's direction, mouthing: 'Prepare for a long discussion with your lawyer.'

Agent Coulson confirmed this calmly: "Yes. However, most of the world's governments are linked with the magical sub-departments. The magical communities understandably strive to keep themselves hidden after the Witch Hunts which is why only the highest-ranking officials - such as the President – are normally briefed on the existence of magic."

"What about your family? The Weasleys?" the single redhead wondered. She genuinely didn't seem all that fazed by this new revelation.

Maybe Amy should give this girl's night out another shot? The witch could use more friends with strong nerves.

"Oh, the Weasleys are all magical," Tony replied, grinning mischievously.

Well, until he heard his PA's reply.

Pepper smirked right back. "So when Ginny said she'd curse your balls off, she meant it literally?"

This, in turn, evoked a startled laugh from Amy. "She is more proficient at the Bat Bogey hex. It uses your snot to form little bats which attack you," the witch reported bemusedly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "In case you were wondering, she taught me."

The two women grinned, exchanging a high-five as all males present cringed. None wished to have their own snot attack them, thank you very much. (Much less have their reproductive system magically removed.)

"Awesome. So what's happening now?" Tony interrupted after recuperating from that particular scare.

In answer to that question, Agent Coulson reached into his pocket, withdrawing a set of blue cards. "We have scheduled a press conference regarding the events of last night, set to begin in three hours." The blonde handed the cards over to Tony. "We took the liberty to prepare an alibi for you."

However that didn't tell them anything specific which worried everyone except Tony who seemed to contemplate several theories.

"What about Stane?" Amy asked, very serious.

Coulson shrugged. "He has taken a last-minute trip to an unknown location. Unfortunately his plane went missing. Security of private jets these days..." the agent informed the group nonplussed.

Nonetheless, the group of civilians wasn't satisfied with his reluctant replied.

"What about the 'Iron Man'?" Pepper questioned, concern clear in her tone if not posture. She had to organize everything pertaining to Tony after all.

"A bodyguard," Agent Coulson suggested calmly. "After the events in Afghanistan it is only logical that Mr. Stark would employ someone for his safety."

Amy sighed disappointed. She knew Tony and, more importantly, his character. If anything he would never want to come across as vulnerable or weak to the press.  
Chances were that her boyfriend would simply go out there, step in front of the press, discard the agent's no doubt meticulously prepared statement, to announce _he_ happened to be the one controlling the suit.

A weaponized suit of armor he built in a cave with scraps from his self-designed weapons and the help of another inmate.

"What if they ask for the bodyguard's identity?" Happy interrupted, spotting another flaw in the plan. "Mr. Stark has openly refused to employ a guard in the past."

However, the smart redhead could see a solution to that potential problem.

"You could deny his name to the press by claiming it would endanger his family and friends. Also it would allow your enemies to seek him out, endangering yourself as well," Pepper suggested to her deceptively calm boss. Nevertheless another barrage of questions swirled through the Brit's mind - the replies to which would determine the continued security of everyone present.

Amy sighed. "If I know any government officials, they will soon try to sue you for the suit either way. It is a sophisticated weapon which they of course want to be able to supply their military with. They will try to discredit Tony, the company and any who associate themselves with him. Especially Pepper and Rhodey," she warned them, thinking back to her own experiences with the Ministry.

Even after the war, the Golden Trio had been subjected to a 'meeting' during which the bigwigs tried to wheedle out how in the world she managed to survive being hit with another _Avada_. (Due to the testimony of several Death Eaters, they had gotten wind of that despite their best attempts at discretion. Thank Merlin the press hadn't caught on as well.)

However, except for her best friends, and now Tony, no one knew what happened to her after taking the hit willingly.

No one else needed to know how Voldemort desecrated life, his own and Amy's soul.

Any threats of a full Wizengamot-trial under Veritaserum had been countered by Andromeda's political savvy and Amy's 'hints' at an exclusive interview with Rita Skeeter (who she still had sufficient dirt on to keep the whole affair in her favor) unless they ceased their relentless questioning. It worked beatifically, thankfully.

"Hey, Gorgeous, you are going to be included on that list, too," Tony reminded her, ripping the resident Brit out of her wandering thoughts. She smiled in response to his words.

Sometime during their planning session, she had seated herself next to her boyfriend, leaning against him. The inventor slung a casual arm around her middle, keeping her close for comfort. Or so Amy strongly suspected.

"You need to prepare yourself for at least an inquiry by the senate," Agent Coulson agreed.

Suddenly Tony groaned loudly. "Plotters of world domination, I just woke up! We can get to that pessimistic planning session later, can't we?"

Quickly, the rest of the group agreed, unwilling to strain his patience overly.

"So what am I supposed to tell the press?" the genius asked, obviously hoping for a nice, BS answer like 'training-exercise gone wrong'.

His girlfriend simply nudged his side gently. (The witch was still equally proud and terrified of his actions last night. Maybe, after the press-conference, she could tell him off in peace?)

"That you spent the day together with Dr. Potter-Black and Miss Potts at home, working on the plans for your wedding," Agent Coulson suggested nonchalantly.

The aforementioned couple simultaneously glared...very disapprovingly at him. Pepper actually sat back in her chair, despite it not being directed at her.

To the agent's credit, he kept his face blank.

A long-stretching beat of silence ensued.

"... _Not_ funny," Amy finally deadpanned.

"It is an effective evasion though," Pepper allowed reluctantly.

However that didn't impress either of the two 'engaged'.

"No! Then the paparazzi'll start hounding Amy even more than they already do. We're already being speculated about enough as it is, thank you," Tony argued, reasonably for once.

Amy raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"

"JARVIS, open 'Petal', would you?" the inventor muttered unhappily.

Immediately tons of articles popped up on a screen mounted to the wall. On top could be seen an enlarged picture of Amy in her elegant, dark-gray neck-holder-dress (last year's birthday gift from Fleur) from the firefighter-benefit, standing next to Tony who had casually slung an arm around her waist. The bright, big capitol letters underneath read: 'Potter Pregnant?'

Neither Happy nor Pepper looked like they wanted to be present for this conversation. Actually, Coulson seemed to mentally curse his superior for this mission.

Even though he had yet to see the really annoying version of Tony - prior to Amy.

Before this tense silence ran on any longer, the witch hissed: "_What the hell_?"

Obviously she had decided on the most fitting words for the situation. Amy might hate the Wizarding press - they could Apparate to wherever she had been spotted last in seconds, after all - but none of them would ever insinuate anything like this.

Especially not after the Final Battle and the subsequent 'clean-up' operation led by the Aurors, DA and, most importantly, the Golden Trio.

Merlin, she had forgotten how presumptuous and shameless the mundane tabloids could be regarding to prominent people. (No surprise with the way Tony experimented on his suits, himself and her job, additionally to everything else.)

"Sorry, I thought you already knew," Pepper apologized quietly. She appeared to sincerely mean it.

In response, Amy just sighed, waving it off. The Brit would not start to care about the press now.

"If we announce any engagement-plans, they will undoubtedly take this as confirmation for any baby-rumors," the witch sighed morosely.

Tony gave her a small, warm smile everyone else pretended to have missed. "I wouldn't mind being engaged to you, Gorgeous, but the last time paparazzi reported about your whereabouts, terrorists attacked us. So no, we can't use that excuse."

Despite expecting this reaction, Amy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, so what are you going to tell them?" Pepper asked reluctantly, as if expecting something very ridiculous or outrageous.

* * *

**Three hours later, Stark Industries**

(this bit is going to be in another POV, just for your information)

* * *

Rhodey, dressed in his best uniform, stepped off the improvised stage, leaving the lectern free for Tony. A whole horde of reporters had been seated in front of him. Behind the vultures about a dozen television cameras glared at the genius.

Or that might just be his over reactive imagination.

The events of last night coupled with frankly disgusting magical medicine obviously affected Tony's brain. (He should probably ask Amy later whether the potions induced hallucinations in non-magical users... _That_ - or sleep.)

The engineer's only consolation was knowing his girlfriend stood at the other end of this room, no doubt mentally cheering him on.

After joking half-heartedly about the stupid blue cards given to him by Coulson, the inventor began to read the previously agreed-on statement.

However, his drunken/self-pity-party romp in the sheets before Afghanistan, Miss Christine 'Brown-I-know-everything-better-than-you' Everheart interrupted him before he even said anything mildly incriminating.

No fun at all, that woman.

She hadn't even been all that good in bed, now that he thought about it. _Maybe Pepper can dig up some dirt on her later if she continues like this..._

"Mr. Stark, do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that _conveniently_ appeared? Despite the fact that you have repeatedly refused to employ a bodyguard in the past?" Miss Annoying Holier-Than-Thou asked acerbically.

Remarkably, none of the other reporters around her reacted much, only perking up slightly when the formal statement had been interrupted.

_Why did I sleep with her again? Ah, yes, I was very, very drunk at the time and trying to forget about Amy._

"I understand your confusion, Miss Everheart, I do," Tony shot back, putting as much patronization as possible in his tone. "However it is one thing to question the official story but an entirely different one to make wild accusations. As you seem to be better informed than me, why don't you tell all of us what _you_ _think_ happened last night?"

Understandably, maybe, the blonde was lost for words for a moment.

Therefore the inventor seized her short pause - to discard the cards.

"Afghanistan forced me to reconsider my choices in life; my companies' choices. What was my purpose, if you will, in life? I didn't know. Therefore I tried to get my act together, decided safe is better than being sorry anytime, hired a nice _bloke_ (he chose the British slang deliberately to push Miss Brown a little further down into her seat) who will remain anonymous for his own protection and made amends with my _girlfriend_ who by the way is _not_ pregnant. Last night's events showed it was a necessary evil to get over my pride. Without Iron Man I would have died."

God, he was a great liar.

Well, half-truths counted as lies, right?

"So you are saying you are not Iron Man?" Miss Everheart tried again, sounding oddly disappointed. Maybe it was the reminder that he had gotten back together with Amy?

Tony just gave the cameras his biggest shit-eating grin, swallowing his pride, and replied: "No comment."

With that the genius left his spot on the podium, hearing faintly as Rhodey thanked everyone for coming. The only thing the inventor cared about was Amy who beamed proudly at him, rewarding his decision with a deep kiss uncaring for once about the cameras directed their way.

* * *

I will continue along the Iron Man 2 and Avengers arc, albeit modifying both to fit my purpose. In lieu of Iron Man 3 a completely different event will take place, just so you know. This is a slow-built, concentrating mostly on the characters' growth than the movies.

Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter!

Love, W


End file.
